NORTH SAILS BLOG

Celebrated solo sailors Jean-Pierre Dick, Jean Le Cam and Yann Eliés close in on Les Sab with a mere 80 miles between them. On Wednesday morning, January 25th Jean-Pierre Dick led a pack of three toward the Vendée Globe finish line off Les Sables d’Olonne. His foil-clad IMOCA 60 StMichel-Virbac was first to reach the lighter winds off the coast of Brittany and hence the first to tack toward the finish. In this situation we do not always envy the leader. Because the the two skippers chasing Jean-Pierre had not yet hit the weather, Yann Eliès on Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir and Jean Le Cam on Finistère Mer Vent slowly closed the distance he had worked so hard to put between them. The trio have battled in close proximity since rounding Cape Horn, Jean-Pierre patiently defending his lead through tantalizing weather systems off the coast of Argentina and further North as he crossed the equator with Eliés and Le Cam close behind. As of this morning they were less than 100 miles from the finish with only 80 miles between them. In the end Jean-Pierre defended his lead with determination and finished first at 1347hrs UTC, welcomed by a sea of fans, friends and his family on a partly cloudy afternoon. He finished in 80 days 1 hour 45 minutes and 45 seconds. Later this afternoon, Yann Elies on Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir is due to become the first non-foiler of the 2016 fleet to finish. Local legend Jean Le Cam is close behind. From the nav bench, the skippers reported to the North Sails team on the performance of their sails. “The real surprise was the little gennaker that I used like a code zero and which allowed me every time, during each transition, to build the difference between Jean and I,” explained Yann Eliés. “We had some transition periods where I was successful in getting more out of the change and the weak conditions than he. I think he even talked about this in one of his videos when he saw the sail through his binoculars.” Yann, Jean, and Jean-Pierre have worked with the North Sails team in France for many years. For this Vendée Globe, an inventory of North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE, 3Di RAW, and NPL SPORT sails was developed for each of their IMOCA 60s. Extending a friendly shout-out to North designer Yann Reginiau, Jean Le-Cam wrote from onboard Finistère Mer Vent, “Knowing Yann, I never doubted for a second that my sails would not be powerful. Everything is absolutely perfect. Aside from the mainsail (which is a given), I have used the J2 a lot. It’s the sail with the largest range of use.” From all of us at North Sails: Congratulations Jean-Pierre, Yann, and Jean on a safe and successful Vendée Globe! We are glad you found some company along the way. READ MORE

Last week 99 boats invaded the city of Key West, USA to kick off a new year of sailing. Competitors reported tough competition in each division at Quantum Key West Race Week, and ideal conditions for matching up against top-of-the-line sailors in each fleet. The constant drive for boat speed provided individual successes for many within each class. Tim Healy and his J70 team New England Ropes. 1st Place! True to form, the J/70 class composed the largest of the event with 42 boats. Led by North Sails-powered New England Ropes with 60 points after 12 races, North clients sailed well to claim four of the top five places; Carlo Alberini’s Calvi Network in 3rd, Brian Keane’s Savasana in 4th and Joel Ronning’s Catapult in 5th overall. Another stand-out fleet in Key West this year was the Flying Tiger 7.5, where seven teams enrolled in the North U Regatta Experience program. The experience includes a pre-regatta clinic and entry to the regatta, which featured a dedicated one-design start for a unique, and competitive, group of sailors. Arriving with a crew ready to improve, coupled with onboard coaching and on/off-water sessions results in a great offshore one-design experience. Nigel Brownett’s team with Jahn Tihansky and coach Andrew Kerr dominated the Flying Tigers, followed by Brian Tyrell in 2nd, who’s team of Melges 24 refugees had a fresh experience of their own in the FT class. In a three-way tie for 3rd, Rachel Bryer’s team came out on top of Guy Williams’ crew in 4th. North U director Bill Gladstone was joined by North Sails expert Mike Marshall, who coached Rachel Bryer and crew for the event. “Our partners in the Regatta Experience program – 1D Sailing Academy – have provided a great fleet of boats and support; we’re excited to continue the North U Regatta Experience program at St. Pete NOOD and Bacardi Miami Race Week,” said Bill. “We all met for the first time at this event to grasp the “know how” of the Flying Tiger, and got to race together to develop the teamwork and welcome new friendships. Our coach, Rod Favela, did a fantastic job helping us to function better every day, not just on the maneuvers but on the analysis of the race course and improving our feeling of the boat (balance, search for speed, pointing, etc.). The video sessions led by Bill Gladstone after sailing carried lots of integrated analysis, and he opens the floor for sharing experience and expertise between boats.” -Elizabeth Pattey, helm of Flying Tiger, bow 03 The TP52 class made their Key West debut to mark the start of their 2017 Super Series. Among the crews were a handful of North Sails experts. Sailing on Bronenosec was Paul Westlake, who remarked on the level of competition on the course. “Every point counts. As always, the fleet was tight and we went into the final day with roughly seven points between the top six boats,” he recalled. “We are thinking big picture at the start of the series. So far no one has made a clear breakthrough – it’s all on for Miami”. Last week’s ten races came down to a three-way tie for 2nd place. Also enjoying the racing were North clients Pete Wagner of Skeleton Key and Martin Roesch of Velocity, who finished 1st and 3rd respectively in the J/111 class. Thank you to the Storm Trysail Club, race committee staff and regatta organizers for a fantastic week! READ MORE

Jeremie Beyou completes Vendée Globe podium on North-Powered Maitre Coq French skipper Jérémie Beyou finished the Vendée Globe today on his IMOCA Maitre COQ, at 7:40 pm local time after 79 days at sea. Beyou has participated in this iconic singlehanded around-the-world race twice before, in 2008 and 2012, and on his third participation he finished in third place behind race winner Armel Le Cléac’h and second place finisher Alex Thompson. On the foredeck of Maitre COQ after reaching Nouch Sud, Jeremie told reporters, “After all the challenges of this race, to finish third is awesome!” Later he followed with, “Since this morning I have relaxed, after 78 days, we are very comfortable, I took advantage of it.” Past winner of La Solitaire du Figaro, Jeremie is an experienced offshore sailor, and this Vendée Globe race has put his experience to the test. Shortly after his departure from Les Sables d’Olonne on November 6th, Jérémie lost the use of two autopilots. Later his fleet antenna broke which prevented him from receiving regular weather updates. He kept rolling with the punches, and recalled today, “When my mainsail hook broke, I almost gave up. It was pitch dark, and I told myself I would never be able to repair it. Afterward, I don’t know where I got the energy, but I managed to do it. Each decent maneuver is a victory, and you have to be pleased about that.” Jérémie sailed a total of 27,101 nautical miles before reaching Nouch Sud. His average speed was 14.43 knots, his top distance in 24 hours was 504 miles (November 21, averaging 21 knots boat speed). The 8th Vendée Globe started on the 6th November from Les Sables d’Olonne. 22 of 29 skippers left the dock with North Sails onboard, and Jeremie Beyou’s Maitre COQ is one of 13 boats with complete North Sails inventories. View North Sails coverage of the Vendée Globe, featuring commentary from the North team and brand ambassador, Sam Davies, on our dedicated race webpage. READ MORE

Armel Le Cléac’h reaches Nouch Sud, makes Vendée Globe history under North 3Di sails In likely the most breathtaking finish of the Vendée Globe singlehanded around-the-world race, Armel Le Cléac’h and his IMOCA Banque Populaire VIII finished just hours ahead of his fierce competitor, Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss. After 74 days at sea, both boats will finish within the east-about circumnavigation record set by Francois Gabart in 2013. Armel reached the iconic finish buoy “Nouch Sud” at 4:30pm on Thursday, January 19, 2017. Today thousands of sailing fans will line the channel in Les Sables d’Olonne to welcome him, having successfully completed his third Vendée Globe race, this time stealing the win and securing a new world record for the fastest circumnavigation by a singlehanded sailor on a monohull 74 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes, 46 seconds (yet to be ratified). 100 miles behind, Alex Thomson was close on his heels in hot pursuit of an epic comeback. The world watched in anticipation as the pair worked their way North through the complex patterns of the Atlantic, with Alex slowly chipping away at Armel’s lead. But Armel, known to his fellow sailors as the Jackal for his unrelenting pace, knew he would have to work hard for this win, as all Vendée skippers do. After he finished second to François Gabart in 2013 by a mere three hours, Armel knows that every minute counts in this marathon event. The Vendée Globe is above all a voyage to the ends of the sea and deep down into the sailor’s soul. It has been won by some of the greatest names in sailing: Titouan Lamazou, Alain Gautier, Christophe Auguin, Vincent Riou, Michel Desjoyeaux and François Gabart. Perhaps their fellow competitor on Spirit of Hungary, Nandor Fa, said it best on Tuesday when he called into Vendée Live from the South Atlantic for an interview: “I’ve watched these guys match race round the world and what they’ve done has been fantastic,” he added. “Both of them deserve to win because their performances have been incredible.” Armel has worked closely with the North Sails team in France over the past five years, and for the 2016-17 Vendée Globe, an eight sail inventory including 3Di RAW, 3Di FORCE and NPL DOWNWIND was developed for Banque Populaire VIII. Before the race start on November 6, 2016, Armel reported: “After the last Vendée, I had a good idea of what I would do for the next boat. Looking back it is now radically different, and I feel confident about our choices because of all the design and testing work that has gone into it. The sails match the boat and my way of sailing, and I’m happy with the performance and durability – it’s a well-rounded inventory for this race.” Alex Thompson on Hugo Boss is due to finish this evening. He will soon be followed by Jeremie Beyou on Maitre Coq who is roughly 700nm from the finish. As for the tight trio of Yann Elies, Jen-Pierre Dick and Jean Le Cam, they have just under 2,000nm to go with roughly 20 miles between them – this will get interesting! Congratulations to Armel from all of us at North Sails, third time’s a charm! Now please, get some rest! READ MORE

Neptune Grants Prime Conditions for 2016 Sydney – Hobart North Sails clients reap the benefits of fastest Rolex Sydney – Hobart Yacht Race on record The 2016 Sydney To Hobart was raced in an amazing weather pattern that allowed 3 boats to break the course record set by Wild Oats in 2012 (18 hours and 23 minutes and 12 seconds). The year proved a successful installment for North clients as well, who claimed 1st and 2nd line honours; 1st, 2nd and 3rd in IRC and 1st and 3rd in ORCi. Early finishers were led by Anthony Bell’s Perpetual Loyal, which took line honors and slashed 4.5 hrs off the record, while Jim Delegate‘s Giacomo was granted the coveted Tattersalls Trophy for placing first in IRC, and Bin Wang’s team UBox claimed ORCi (we look forward to seeing more of this crew in the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race!). Perpetual Loyal finally got to show her true potential after abandoning mid-race in 2013 and 2014. North Sails Expert Alby Pratt manages the sail program for the team out of the loft in Sydney and joined the crew for the race south. ”The 2016 race was fantastic. This was my 21st race and the most enjoyable conditions by far. The heavy downwind stretch we had on the first afternoon allowed us to use our massive running spinnaker to good effect. This sail was built for the boat last year to improve her achilles heel which was VMG running, and we developed a custom Cuben Fibre cloth for the project. The sail kept us within striking distance of the Oats until transitioning on the first night,” said Alby, who sailed on Wild Oats in 2015 and has overseen the sail inventories for both programs over the years. Due to a more powerful hull shape and higher displacement, Perpetual Loyal is always at a disadvantage to her maxi competitor Wild Oats in the fresh running conditions the fleet experienced at the outset. The crew were happy to report a noted improvement while using the newly developed North Sails NPL DOWNWIND runner. On the morning of the 27th, Perpetual Loyal showed what she could do in the moderate reaching conditions, gaining distance on Wild Oats until the yachts were a beam. Unfortunately, around this time, Wild Oats suffered a keel ram failure and the crew were no longer able to cant the keel – a maneuver granting added righting moment, and a key component to Wild Oats’ safe and effective performance. The team was forced to abandon their charge for line honors and the new course record. Perpetual Loyal charged on as the breeze became lighter on the afternoon of the 27th. The crew hoisted the boats new NPL DOWNWIND A3 reacher which was purpose built for this year’s race. Designed to capitalize on the boats powerful reaching ability it allowed Loyal to sail away from Scallywag and the next group of boats behind which included the fast finishing Volvo 70’s Blackjack and Maserati who were also reveling in the reaching conditions. Loyal’s sails were designed by JB Braun, who is based in Massachusetts, USA and designs many high-profile projects for North Sails including super maxi Comanche, the latest J-Cass performance inventory, and sits on the Aero design group for ORACLE Team USA. JB worked closely with Alby and Loyal’s Sailing Master on Perpetual Loyal, Tony Mutter, to design a sail that would push the boat’s reaching ability to maximum advantage. By dusk on the 27th the breeze had swung aft, enough to hoist the A2 running sail for the last stretch into Tasman light. “Perfect conditions up the Derwent was icing on the cake, we had an amazing race,” said Alby Jim Delegat and his New Zealand team on Giacomo were second over the line holding off the much bigger Scallywag and taking out IRC honors. Giacomo also flew North Sails 3Di sails with Richard Bicknell from North Sails in New Zealand among the crew. Bin Wang’s U box was a late campaign for the race and her victory in ORCi is a fantastic result for the team. U Box was led by Charles Caudrelier of Dongfeng Racing, who took the opportunity to trial and train with crew for the Volvo Ocean Race, starting this October in Alicante, Spain. U Box had a new North Sails 3Di RAW mainsail and 3Di ENDURANCE headsails, fitted days earlier on Christmas Eve. North Sails Expert Billy Sykes managed the sail order for U Box and, after sending them off, hopped on board Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban which took 3rd in IRC. Ichi Ban also reveled in the fresh running conditions and at the entrance to Storm Bay was leading the IRC standings. Unfortunately for Matt and his team including round-the-world veteran Gordon Maguire, the notoriously fickle Storm Bay did not want to play and they could only watch as the distance they had gained evaporated with the breeze. No doubt, the 2016 Rolex Sydney-Hobart course record will be broken in the future as faster and faster boats are designed and built every year. The conditions in 2016 were ideal for high-speed ocean sailing – and the competitors jumped off the line to reap the benefits. The big question is, how long will we wait for King Neptune to grant these prime conditions again? Time will tell, and we’ll be ready! READ MORE

DRAGON CASCAIS WINTER SERIES ACT THREE Top three powered by North Sails Congratulations to the top three Dragons at the third event in the Cascais Winter Series – all were powered by North Sails . In first was Lawrie Smith’s ‘Monday’ GBR801, he raced with North Sails Hugo Rocha on board. Second place was Andrey Kirilyuk on ‘Strange Little Girl’ RUS76 and third Klaus Diedricht’s ‘Fever’ GBR758 with Jamie Lea on board. Also congratulations go out to the first Corinthian boat, in 5th place overall, Benjamin Morgen’s ‘Rosie’ GER1180. The date for the 4th round of the Cascais Winter Series is 10th Feb. Thanks to Richard Pinto for the photo www.rspinto.com READ MORE

On January 3rd 2017, the North Sails Australia licensed operation was purchased by North Technology Group. In line with the ethos of North Sails Group, the purchase of the renowned Sydney loft will enhance the customer experience. It will ensure that whilst benefitting from the shared technology, greater efficiencies and wealth of knowledge from within the Group, the core of the business is still understanding the local culture and sailor. As a result, Managing Director Michael Coxon and his team at North Sails Australia will now be spending more time on their core business of selling and servicing sails than ever before. Michael Coxon, Managing Director, North Sails Australia: “Over my 33 years as a North Sails loft manager I have benefited from, and enjoyed, great relationships and experiences with my peers both on and off the water. During this time, I have observed and participated in a lot of change and challenges in our company and industry. Over my tenure, North Sails Australia has been a viable operation, keeping the North Sails name and brand at the forefront of Australia’s sailing market. As North Sails is the only truly international vertically integrated sailmaking company, to me it is a logical step forward for North Sails Australia to proceed into the future under the secure umbrella of our parent company. This shall offer long term security and direction to our loyal and experienced staff and as we truly work as one, provide our clients with the best products, service and value into the future.” North Sails Australia is the country’s leading sailmaker with a diverse market ranging from dinghy, One Design, 18′ Skiffs, cruising, racing, Grand Prix and Maxis. Dating back to when Australia defended the America’s Cup in Fremantle in 1987, North Sails Australia was the sailmaker of choice, supplying both the Bond and Kookaburra defense challenges and building some 323 panel America’s Cup sails for the Cup. Since then, the loft has continued to be at the forefront of campaigns and teams from the America’s Cup all the way through to around the cans racers and offshore racing, dominating the fleet in classic blue water races such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race. Ken Read, President North Sails Group: “North Sails Australia is a world-renowned sail facility. We take very seriously the notion of ‘think global, act local’ and we feel that with this latest addition to the North Sails Group of centrally owned lofts we are doing exactly that. We fully understand that each individual loft is as much about the people, relationships and local knowledge as it is about our products. In working more closely with Michael and his team, we allow them to further enhance our customers’ experience and ensure that everyone gets the best possible sail, and sailing experience. We are delighted to welcome Australia into the Group and look forward to all that we can achieve together.” North-powered Perpetual Loyal running with a custom A2 built at the Sydney Loft, on her way to breaking the Sydney – Hobart course record on December 28, 2016. READ MORE

With a long week ahead in Key West, North Sails will be on site and at your service to keep you having fun on (and off ) the water! Our goal is to provide expert repairs and maintenance in a timely manner. Your sails are a major investment, and we’re committed to helping you maximize their performance and lifespan. With our service location being on Stock Island, our North van is on call and ready when you are for immediate pick-ups from your dock locations. Keep our numbers on speed dial and as soon as you get in we can come to you! Since we all know parking isn’t easy, the van will be making rounds to assist everyone and anyone in need. Florida Keys Community College in Stock Island 5901 College Rd, Key West, FL 33040 Yana – 631-805-4949 Alexei – 954-663-4556 Every sail serviced by North Sails undergoes a thorough inspection designed to identify maintenance issues early, so they do not become major problems later on. Our unmatched worldwide network means you get the same quality service whether you’re at home or at a regatta. As soon as you know you will be needing service, don’t hesitate to call us and we will be there, at your service! READ MORE

Some athletes are endurance runners, others sprint. If Thomas Coville were a runner he would be the former, with a jet-pack. On Sunday he accomplished his lifelong goal of breaking the record for sailing solo, non-stop around-the-world. As a matter of fact, he smashed it by over eight days. The French sailor boasts a myriad of offshore sailing experience beginning in the 1997 Mini Transat, sailing across the Atlantic alone on a 6.5m boat. He later moved onto the Vendée Globe, around the world alone on a 60ft monohull. He sailed in crewed offshore races such as the Volvo Ocean Race, winning with Team Groupama in 2011-12. He also won two benchmark solo offshore races – the Route du Rhum in 1998 and the Transat Jacques Fabre 1999. It has all been in preparation for this ultimate challenge: to set the solo, non-stop, around the world sailing record. Thomas Coville finally achieved his dream, on Christmas Day 2016, after four prior attempts. Thomas joins Dame Ellen MacArthur and Francis Joyon in a prestigious, small group of three multihull sailors who have sailed around the world, nonstop. The difference with Thomas’s tour du monde is his daily average speed, not to mention the difficulty a 31 meter Ultime trimaran imposes on a sailor. These make his achievement unique, incredible, amazing, and quite surprising, even for those closely involved with his campaign. “Sometime after Thomas’s departure, I joked that it would be perfect if he finished in 48 days to match his age,” said Gautier Sergent, a comrade of Thomas’s and the North Sails designer for the Sodebo Ultime campaign. “It was so funny at the time because we never predicted he could finish that quickly. In the end, it was 49 days… and we are all in disbelief.” North Sails has a long-standing relationship with Sodebo, and Gautier bonded with Thomas during his stint on Groupama 4 in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012. Gautier was the sail designer for that program, too, and many offshore programs before and after. “From this and past experiences with Ultime campaigns, I can say that sailing these boats is tough, they are unforgiving. If you lose your concentration for two minutes, the boat will take over, and you risk breaking equipment in what quickly spirals into life-threatening situations. You can not back off and 49 days of intense sailing is a long time to maintain your mental focus and physical strength.” Gautier works collaboratively with Sodebo’s appointed sail coordinator, Loic Le Mignon and North Sails expert, Quentin Ponroy. The sail design team is part of a wider group of trusted designers, engineers, craftsmen, meteorologists, sailors and coaches, marketers, and operations professionals that make up Sodebo Ultime. Numerous times Thomas credits his achievement, while a “solo” sailing record, to the people who have supported and pushed him on the record-breaking journey, not to mention four prior attempts. It takes a lot of faith to take a leap into the unknown hoping each person got his contribution right. Addressing the challenge, and nodding to his support, Thomas explained: “For example, when you leave Brest and you know that the weather sequence is going to be difficult in the South Atlantic, but in the end, you turn this seemingly bad window into a good one because you gybe 20 times in 48h along the ice limit to extricate yourself from the St. Helena high. I did what was needed to turn this route into a good one. So there is, at the same time, a share of risk, a part of chance, and a share of fortune that you create. It is a window, and you can decide to open it or leave it closed. For me, Jean-Luc Nélias, Sam Davies, Thierry Douillard, have an analysis that they propose to me, and sometimes they challenge me, push me, Jean-Luc pushes me a lot. Then there is the third parameter of technological breakdown. This boat is faster down the Atlantic and in the Southern Ocean. But the counterpart of that is it’s more physical to maneuver. The gennaker is 120 kg, or even 130 when it gets wet, and there it becomes a huge physical commitment. I did not spare myself, and I do not think I have done fewer maneuvers than if the boat was crewed.” He didn’t let up for 49 days, an intensity unmatched, apparent in his average boat speed of 24 knots over 28,400 nautical miles. What any sailor can learn from Thomas Coville is that determination and a passion for the process pay off. “What I would like to keep from this record is not so much the 49 days and 3 hours, it’s mostly the way I traveled, I fell, I got up, I dared. Ten years, a dream very difficult to reach, but a dream that I lived, that I live.” READ MORE

The annual Boxing Day departure of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race is approaching fast. We caught up with the North Sails team in Sydney, AUS, who are now in full-swing getting sails serviced and ready to go. The Sydney to Hobart course is 628 nautical miles, out of Sydney Harbor and past the Heads, down the Australian coast and through the Bass Strait to Tasmania. The race is known to be extremely challenging, due to its ever-changing conditions and legendary squalls in the strait. A new kid on the block this year is the CNB76 luxury cruiser, Charlotte. This will be her first Hobart race and she is in good hands, with an experienced crew including owner Ervin Vidor, who has entered the race six times. Preparing a premium cruising boat for an offshore race of this caliber can be tricky. North Sails Expert Jason Antill has supported the program along with his father, Rob; building a trusted crew, outfitting the deck and cockpit, and ramping up the inventory with three new downwind sails. “While Charlotte is a high performance cruiser, once the day’s sailing is complete the design spec calls for the boat to be at anchor and the crew to get a fine night’s sleep… That’s a bit hard when you’re 120nm off the Australian coast in a 40 to 50 knot headwind,” said Jason, who explained that safety will be a top priority. “We took care of safety concerns by placing additional hand holds and safety lines on Charlotte’s vastly spacious foredeck and cockpit. Managing halyards at the mast was another challenge, especially the 2:1 halyard for the new Code 0. This is where having the North Sails collective experience was helpful. We asked a member of our team, Michael Coxon, to join us for a crew training day. In the end he helped us create a custom halyard bag to avoid tangling.” Charlotte launched with a North Sails 3DiTM ENDURANCE hydraulic furling jib and staysail. Now with over 10,000 bluewater miles logged, these core working sails are up to the Sydney-Hobart challenge. Jason and Rob have added a VMG gennaker, a North 3Di Raw Code Zero, and a North Panel Laminate (NPL) light-medium asymmetric runner. Regarding the durability of Charlotte’s first 3Di sails, owner Ervin Vidor commented, “The 3Di working sails have covered 6000nm in Europe and 4000nm in Australia, one service and they are good as new.” In gathering the ideal crew, Jason used his contacts to find sailors with extensive experience on big boats. “I’ve called every friend I have to put the program together, there’s no one left now!” he laughed. “We basically pulled from our previous campaigns, which provided a nucleus of people who have done the Hobart before. They’re all experienced in big boats, not just racing, and short handed deliveries.” Among the crew is Jason’s father Rob Antill, who was instrumental in the opening of North Sails in Sri Lanka and Sydney, and certainly has his fair share of Hobart bragging rights. Rob will be “Sailing Master” for this year’s race. “Dad has forgotten more than I will ever know about the Hobart,” said Jason. “Not surprisingly, when I suggested the boat was longer plus a few feet than his age he was more interested in coming along this year. From where I stand, being able to trust my father, knowing he has the experience to understand the limits of a boat this size, means I’ll sleep a lot better off watch.” READ MORE

SOLO SUPER SERIES Congratulations to Chris Brown who was the winner of the Solo Super Series draw held at the End of Season Champs over the weekend. Unfortunately due to the lack of wind all racing was cancelled for the last event, however overall results can be seen on the Class website. North Sails Lawrence Creaser presented Chris with his prize, a new North Sails F-2 Solo sail! North Sails are proud to continue their sponsorship with the Solo Super Series in 2017. To find out more about the F2 and our other new designs for the 2017 season please see our class page. READ MORE

PACIFIC YANKEE WINS THE 2016 MELGES 20 WORLD RANKING Interview with Drew Freides The final rankings for the 2016 Melges 20 World Series have been announced and Drew Freides and his Pacific Yankee team finished the season as the top ranked team and are the series champions for 2016. Drew and his team culminated the 12 event series with a victory in this years final event which put the finishing touches on Pacific Yankee’s #1 ranking over seventy other teams in the series. Our team at North Sails is proud that Pacific Yankee, as well as the teams and boats that finished the season ranked 1,3,4,5,6, all chose to be powered by full North Sails inventories! The Pacific Yankee team worked closely with North Sails expert Vince Brun to make sure the team was learning all they could through a thoughtful sail development program to make Pacific Yankee go fast and be the best they could be. We got in touch with Drew and asked him the key factors to such a successful year: Boat Setup “From day one, Vince wanted us to focus on learning how to set up the boat correctly. With so many options for adjustments we developed a complete matrix with the boat & rig setup for every wind speed. Vince’s goal for us was not to have to think about how to make the boat go fast during racing and just focus on boat positioning as well as racing”. Training “We spent a lot of time on the water tuning and training, always with an open mind to try new things. We would see another team doing something different, and we would try it, often times going against standard logic. Some things worked, while other things didn’t, but we constantly learned from the experimentation and testing.” Team “We sailed all year with the same team. Charlie Smythe focused on boat setup, constant rig adjustment and overall boat speed, both upwind and down. Morgan Reeser worked with me on my driving as well as tactics and boat positioning vs the fleet and the race course”. Sail Program “We switched from the AP-6 mainsail to the new standard M-16 main from North which was the right direction. There is no question that North is recognized as offering the fastest sails by the majority of the Melges 20 fleet.” Final Thoughts “I seriously had chills running down my spine when I saw the results. I can’t believe we ended 2016 ranked #1in the World! I can’t thank you all enough!!!!!!! We did it. Now we just need to win a World Championship. Just before my mom passed away almost three years ago, she told me to buy this boat – she would never believe what we have accomplished. Thank you again for all of your commitment and hard work!!!!!!! I owe you guys!!!!!!!!” Thank you Drew! Seeing sailors have fun and great success while learning to go faster is one of our favorite things to see at North Sails. Thanks for making our day and congratulations to you, Charlie, Morgan & Vince on a great year! Learn more about our sails for the Melges 20. READ MORE

Only in eternally sunny Newport Beach, California could you race in a Sunkist Series during the dead of winter! Taking advantage of the long sailing season are Alan Andrews and Molly Lynch, who sail in the monthly series with their Andrews 38, Double Time. Sailing with family and friends compliments the more serious racing Alan does with clients of his firm, Alan Andrews Yacht Design, and in 2016 the family-friendly program had a busy season, entering 14 races in total. Last Sunday marked the second Sunkist, and Alan & Molly broke out their new North Sails 3DiTM RACE genoa for the first time. The boat’s #1 genoa is a key sail: last year there were only two races they didn’t use it. The sail they had was seven seasons old, so a lot of new options were on the market when Alan and Molly decided to replace it. “We were looking for a #1 jib that would cover the whole range. This weekend we sailed our first event with the 3Di RACE genoa in very light wind, probably four knots to start and it went down from there.” It was a bit of a “drifter” with light, shifty breeze and lumpy water, the kind of conditions many sailors dread. In the end Alan and Molly’s team claimed the win and, having used the new sail at one end of the range, Alan was encouraged by the readability of the new sail in light conditions. “The sail absolutely met our expectations at that end of the range. Having raced a lot with clients and friends over the years, my impression with some of the earlier 3Di sails was they were a bit on the stiff side. On Sunday we were sailing at the bottom end of the range with a little bit of chop, really shifty light air, and we were able to read the sail. The material was supple enough to respond to subtle changes in pressure. For an all-purpose #1, that’s a good deal. We expect this sail will bring us up to 14 knots.” The new 3Di RACE genoa replaced a 3DL SPORT #1 jib with a taffeta layer for added durability. In switching to 3Di RACE, Alan noticed that the new sail was lighter in weight while promising superior durability to string sails. “Compared to the 3DL™ taffeta sail, the 3Di sail shifts the material weight into the load bearing thread, which gives the sail potential to hold its shape higher up the wind range. While shape retention was not an issue with our last sail, we immediately noticed that the new sail was much lighter.” Being a numbers guy, Alan weighed his new 3Di sail vs the old 3DL sail and found the 3Di to be 10% lighter. The ability to place material in a load bearing pattern, adding weight to the sail where it’s needed most, and saving where it is not, is an inherent trait of 3Di technology. And the best news? It’s still ‘summer’ in California. The Balboa Yacht Club hosts racing every month of the year, so we’ll be checking back in to hear how Alan and Molly’s new 3Di RACE sail performs up the range. READ MORE

Our congratulations to team Alinghi for securing the 2016 Extreme Sailing Series (ESS) world title this weekend on Sydney Harbor. This is Alinghi’s third series win, following victories in 2008 and 2014, and the first time they’ve done so ‘flying’ on the new lightning fast one-design GC32 catamarans. As the official supplier to the GC32 Class, North Sails delivered eight one-design inventories to the fleet in early 2016. Co-skipper of team Alinghi, Arnaud Psarofaghis, said, “The GC32s are perfect. At the beginning of the season we thought it would be hard to compete on small courses in foiling boats but now the Extreme Sailing Series is even better than before.” Considering his work as a sail designer for North Sails in Switzerland, Arnaud maintains an envious balance of work and play. Originally from Corsier, he has risen as one of Switzerland’s top sailors and has a broad range of experience across the multihull world, having found success in the D35s, the Ventilo M2, the Extreme 40 and also the AC45. “I have been a designer at North Sails Geneva for 10 years and enjoy it a lot. We face new challenges every day to build the fastest sails whilst also meeting demands set by our clients. It’s nice to be able to create something new every day.” When designing sails for the GC32, North Sails designers had a unique set of requirements from the new one design class. In an interview prior to the ESS series opener, project leader Gautier Sergent said, “The difficulty (and the fun) is that the GC32 are foiling catamarans sailing in a wide variety of racing formats (GC32 circuit, ESS, Bol d’Or long distance sailing) and on many different stretches of water (from lake to ocean). You need to cater to all this with only four sails in total.” Learn more about designing sails for the GC32 here. Image credits © Jesus Renedo / Lloyd Images READ MORE

Last week North Sails joined the Melges 40™ team for sea trials in Dubai. The Melges 40 is the largest, fastest and only canting keel sailboat ever offered by Melges Performance Sailboats. North experts were on site to help with testing the above-the-deck package, including North Sails 3Di RAW™ sails, designed in collaboration with the yacht designer and sister company, Southern Spars. Ultimately working the boat through the range over two days of thorough testing, the group is happy to report the new boat has successfully completed sea trials with flying colors. “North Sails has been involved with the development of the sail plan and class rules since day one. The company has been a great partner in this project and helped make it a big success. The “engine above the deck” is so important for the performance of any sail boat, and what is most impressive is how spot-on the first set of sails are, right out of the bag. A big thank you to the entire North team for helping make this dream a reality! – Harry Melges, Melges Rep and North Sails expert in Zenda With the launch of the new boat, Melges have embarked on their mission to redefine the highest level of windward/leeward one-design racing. Boat no. 1, owned by Melges Premier Performance, has been used for overall product development including fine tuning systems in an effort to finalize one-design Class Rules. Currently, new Melges 40 owners are sailing the boats for the first time, including Richard Goransson’s Inga From Sweden which uses a full North Sails inventory. “I think it’s a great concept. There have been a lot of boats that use a canting keel (mostly offshore). So while the concept is not new, it is new to one design boats in the sense of round-the-buoys racing… and it will offer you a whole new understanding of the sport.” – Cameron Appleton, North Sails Sail Development The Melges 40 is different from what we have seen lately in the 40’ range. It’s retractable bow sprit and twin rudders aim to offer more control for the driver, easier maneuvers in tight quarters and greater downwind speeds. The canting keel with centerline canard is push-button operated, keeping tacks smooth and simple. Foiling catamarans are awesome boats in their own right. We wanted to create a platform that would maintain the purity of traditional monohull racing: around-the-buoys tactics with the thrill of speed and performance that the Melges brand is known for. Not just a speed race to the corner, but a boat that is fast, fun and easy to sail while still offering the maneuverability of a monohull to maintain the close fleet tactics we love. – Harry Melges, Melges Rep and North Sails expert in Zenda Learn more about North Sails 3Di on our dedicated product page. READ MORE

The 2016 Melges 24 World Championship came to a close on Saturday, December third. The fleet sailed 12 races in 10-20 knots over five days. In the ocean off Miami, the sea state was challenging upwind and downwind with some great surfing. Congratulations to North Sails clients who finished 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,10, and to North-powered Corinthian teams Lenny and Accru, who finished second and fourth respectively in the Corinthian Division. North-powered team Embarr took the win with only 38 total points – a 30 point lead over second place. Onboard Embarr were Conor Clarke, Aoife English, David Hughes, Stuart McNay, and North Sails’ Maurice O’Connell. The team showed spectacular boat handling technique and impressive speed upwind and downwind. O’Connell trimmed the chute for the Worlds and reported the standard North models were fast. “The week was a tough one for sure. Our results showed a dominant performance, but it sometimes didn’t feel like that! We had one or two sketchy starts that forced us in the wrong direction.” “What was satisfying is we never felt under pressure boat speed wise. We used the standard North Sails models which were very fast. In the moments our performance was sub-optimal, there was always a simple reason for it: rig settings, sail trim, hiking or kinetics. By staying proactive in these areas, Embarr kept ripping along, and our speed got us out of trouble – more than a few times!”- Maurice O’Connell, North Sails There is a reason for a regatta like this to be held in a place like Miami in the Fall. The best chance for breeze and primetime ocean sailing make for a top event of the year, and an excellent way to welcome the winter season in the south for the Melges 24 class. With a solid 75 boats on the starting line, threading the needle through traffic upwind and holding your lane made for the biggest challenges. Participants reported that rig tune, crew placement and communication from the front to the back of the boat kept you in the groove and able to maintain boat speed. “Set-up wise, we kept a near-constant discussion of how the boat felt and what it needed at the moment. We weren’t timid on changing hard and soft controls. Within the “noise” of the race, being totally honest about a boat’s performance is one of the toughest challenges,” reported Dave Hughes, tactician and headsail trimmer on Embarr. With winds between 10-20 knots, an important part of upwind set-up was to keep the boat powered up in big waves, with just enough tension for the 20-knot winds yet still allowing enough space to breathe when necessary. Still, the breeze was relatively consistent in pressure, giving the World’s teams some time to fine-tune. “Please pass on my thanks to the North Sails team in San Diego. The green kites look amazing and are now famous in the Melges fleet. They are obviously super fast too! North Sails have been a great help to the Embarr team and we really appreciate it,” said Embarr’s Conor Clarke. READ MORE

The 2016 Melges 24 World Championship was held in the open ocean off Miami Beach, November 29-December 3rd. In five days of racing, Conor Clarke’s Melges 24 team Embarr sailed an amazingly consistent regatta (finishing just on race out of the top five). Tactician Dave Hughes credits onboard communication and teamwork to their World’s success. Hi Dave, how does it feel to win the Melges 24 World Championship? Winning is a mixture of elation and fatigue! This was a long, hard-fought event. It’s wonderful to prove to ourselves that our preparation and approach to the event was a winning formula. What would you say were the three key factors to your success this week in Miami? A heads-up, alert attitude to the race course is key in any regatta and definitely helped us in the big fleet, big waves conditions in Miami. In addition, always sailing the boat hard no matter our position and working with our coach, Morgan Reeser, kept us going fast. What was the biggest “take-away” you gained from this event? World Championships throw a lot of curve -balls at you, both on and off the water. Rest up, shoulders back, and keep fighting. If you could share with your fellow competitors one thing that you would consider the most critical part of your set-up this week, what would it be? Set-up wise, we kept a near-constant discussion of how the boat felt and what it needed in the moment. We weren’t timid on changing hard and soft controls. Within the “noise” of the race, being totally honest about a boat’s performance is one of the toughest challenges. What did you find to be the most successful in your upwind strategy? Lane management. What was the most unexpected contribution to your win? Where do I start?!! Truth be told, it was surprising just how many people had a hand in making this win happen, both on and off the water. Our ‘thank you’ list is long! You can’t win a major event without help along the way. What are your crew positions/jobs? Conor is the owner of the boat, hardest hiker, and responsible for about 100 things onboard. Aoife is the bow extraordinaire. Maurice (AKA ‘Prof’) was on the spinnaker. Stu drove the boat and I was on the jib and tactics (both good and bad!!) What’s the next event for your team? Uncertain at this point, we need to take a breath first! What was your team dynamic like compared to your Olympic Campaign on the 470? The similarities are fairly obvious with Stu driving and me on jib/tactics. As a boat, the Melges 24 has a great number of parallels to the 470 (a reference the Embarr team is definitely sick of hearing!). However, as with any boat, the team takes on its own character and personality. In the end, hard work is the key. We all saw your downwind technique. Where did you learn how to move like that? The 470, of course! What was your funniest moment of the event? (Any funny sayings you had on the boat/ or a funny thing that happened on the water)? The Embarr team has its fair share of go-to sayings, re-told jokes, and “I can’t believe that just happened.” I’ll leave it at that… Learn more about North Sails Melges 24 products at: North Sails One Design READ MORE

America’s Cup defender Oracle Team USA visit the North Sails loft in Minden, NV where the one-design 3DiTM sails are being built for the ACC cup boats. READ MORE

America’s Cup World Series ends with spectacular grand finale in Fukuoka, Japan Land Rover BAR​ was fast out of the blocks on Day 1 and ultimately stole the show in Fukuoka with regatta and overall series wins on Sunday. They will carry bonus points into the America’s Cup Challenger Series, as well as ORACLE TEAM USA​ who claimed second in the series overall. SoftBank Team Japan​ scored a hometown win in Race 2 under the roar of fans cheering from the beach. Fukuoka, Japan was an excellent host for the World Series final and it was awesome to see such enthusiasm for sailing and hometown pride for the Softbank team. Artemis Racing sailed a fantastic Sunday, winning the first two races of the day and coming second in the regatta under Land Rover BAR. Competitive spirit was alive and well on the course this weekend with tight maneuvers, match-racing tactics, and penalties abundant especially in the final ​day​. Nathan Otteridge’s comment “Makes it easy when everyone else is fighting!” is a good indication of the aggressive approach we saw, especially from Land Rover BAR, this weekend. It is clear the stakes are rising and if you ask me, it’s a preview of what we’ll see in the America’s Cup Challenger Series​!​ When the teams meet again in Bermuda, May 2017, they will be racing America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats. The ACCs are built by each team within a design rule: they are 15 meters long (just over 49 feet) and much higher performance than the boats we have watched in the World Series this year. All of the America’s Cup events this spring, up to the finals, will be sailed in the ACCs: Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs America’s Cup Match The America’s Cup event schedule is updated here: https://www.americascup.com/en/event-schedule.html North Sails’ sister company, Southern Spars, has taken on boat and wing construction for Emirates Team New Zealand. Very cool stuff. You can check out their progress here: http://www.southernspars.com/etnz-sailors-meet-ac50-southern-spars/ READ MORE

North Sails President and ACWS Commentator, Ken Read, forecasts this weekend’s final match up in Fukuoka, Japan This weekend is all about points, and a little momentum. Entering the final event of the series, Land Rover BAR has a 14 point lead and will be tough to beat. The winner of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series trophy is will also receive two points toward the America’s Cup qualifying round robin – each point is a race won. Each team will match up twice in the qualifiers, so to enter the round robin with a two point lead puts them at a considerable advantage toward the big finale – the Luis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs. That aside, momentum is a powerful thing. You don’t want to head into the long winter of testing and training coming off a loss, and each world series team will have their goals heading into the event this weekend. At the end of the day, positive momentum may not be the ultimate prize, but it can be transformative for a team. And of course, we’re going to Japan! I love Japan. I’ve spent a lot of time there and have some great friends and memories. The first World Championship I ever won was in 1985, in the J/24 in Atsumi Bay. Since then I’ve participated in a lot of great sailing there, big boats to small, and taught clinics. The community is enthusiastic, and the food is great, so I’m excited for Fukuoka to host the final event. Promotion of the America’s Cup is really what drives the World Series, which is important. At this point in the build up, I think the teams are ready to officially move on to the next phase of testing and training on their new boats, the America’s Cup Class. The ACCs are what they will sail the Cup in, and they are leaps and bounds from the AC45 platform. As radical and cool looking the 45 footers are – wing sailed, foiling cats – they are drastically slower and lower tech than the ACCs are. These sailors have a unique perspective on performance. That is certain. Fleet racing in the AC45f is a different game than match racing the ACC – night and day. So I think after Fukuoka, the guys will be eager to resume preparation for the big dance (the America’s Cup, that is)! READ MORE

Team Falcon takes on the ultimate open-ocean challenge powered by North Sails 3Di Red Bull’s Flying On Water project debuts with epic adventure from New York to Bermuda. Thirty knot winds and waves up to 25 feet hammered onto the 46-foot F4 foiling catamaran and it’s six crew. Flying on Water is a project in which Team Falcon built the first vessel specifically produced for open ocean flight – a one-design platform that is the definitive prototype for the future of open ocean sailing. North Sails is a proud sponsor of Team Falcon, who sent it to Bermuda with a fresh set of North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE and NPL SPORT gennaker. READ MORE

November 28th-29th As the world’s leading sailmaker, North Sails is proud to be a long term partner in supporting the Yacht Racing Forum. In 2016, a number of North Sails representatives will be in Malta to give presentations, contribute to panel discussions and meet with representatives from across the yacht racing industry. As leaders in a number of fields from engineering and aerodynamics through to sales, sailing and business, the global team from North Sails are available on request for interviews and commentary. Please contact Bridgid Murphy on bridgid.murphy@northsails.com / + 1 617 697 7724 to request access to people and North Sails content. READ MORE

CONGRATULATIONS JR MAXWELL, WINNER OF THE 2016 J/22 MID-ATLANTICS The 2016 J22 Mid-Atlantic Championship was one for the record books. Competitors could not have asked for a better weekend for sailing. Annapolis delivered unbelievably beautiful sailing conditions for a Halloween weekend regatta. Seventeen J/22’s went out on Saturday morning and sailed three spectacular races in a Southerly breeze that came in at about 9-14 kts. Regatta chair Jason Goscha worked with the J/24 fleet to organize a stellar team of volunteers from the Severn Sailing Association who ran absolutely perfect races. The J/24 and J/22 fleets mingled together for the post race festivities which included a daily debrief hosted by Mike Marshall and Zeke Horowitz from North Sails. The Southerly was back in on Sunday morning and while it was a bit lighter than Saturday it hung in there long enough to get three more fantastic races. Boat speed and execution was the name of the game all weekend. The left side of the course seemed to be favored on almost every beat so whoever could start well, go fast, and get left tended to be in top group at the weather mark. JR Maxwell and his crew on “Scooby” put on a speed and execution clinic as they were able to get punched off the line and let their boat speed shine – winning 4 of the 6 races in the series. J/22’s and J/24’s weren’t the only boating enthusiasts enjoying the beautiful weekend though. Dozens of power boats were out on the bay as well and that led to “washing machine” type wave conditions for most of the series. At one point we saw the front of the keel on “Hot Toddy” as Jeff Todd’s team skipped over the wake of a 60 footer down wind! TIP OF THE WEEKEND A very important factor to get through the big chop going upwind is where to put the traveler. On “Uncle Fluffy,” we adjusted the traveler fairly often to make sure it was high enough to allow a slight ease of the main sheet to twist open the main and help accelerate if we had a bad set of chop. Having the traveler in the right place also enables the helmsman to pull on the main sheet and load up the helm a little bit which can help the boat power through some of the nasty chop. Congratulations to J.R. Maxwell for the dominant win and a huge thank you to Jason Goscha and all of the volunteers at SSA for a fabulous weekend of racing. The J/22’s in Annapolis are now on to “Frost Biting” for the rest of the year… Here’s a tip for those that will be competing in their own local “Frost Bite” series: Make sure you have a cup holder in your cockpit big enough for a full thermos of hot chocolate (whiskey optional)!! North-powered boats finished 1,2,3,7,8,9 at the 2016 J/22 Mid-Atlantic Championship. Learn more about North J/22 fast sails. READ MORE

Last week we heard from Nick Gibbens in San Francisco, a client who owns an Express 27 called “Shenanigans” and recently collected the first victory for North’s new 3Di RACE sail. North Sails expert, Seadon Wijsen, reported on Shenanigans’ success with their new #1 genoa at the class National Championship: “Just a quick note to say thanks for helping my client upgrade from a 3DL genoa to a 3Di RACE genoa in time for us to use it in the Express 27 Nationals this past weekend. Overall, the sail did well in lighter wind and chop but looked great when used above its wind range. I’m sure many of you already know this about 3Di RACE, but it was a great opportunity for me to see the product first hand on a type of boat not many of us sail very often. This sail combined with a new Radian main helped us win the regatta. Needless to say, the client and crew liked the sails a lot!” We quickly contacted Nick, for feedback on a sail only introduced in September. Over the past year, designers, salesmen, and test sail recipients have compiled feedback and data on how RACE should behave within its target environment. The entire North development team was curious to see if Nick’s feedback matched our hypothesis. “The things I noticed about this sail, and why I think it works well with the Express 27… This boat isn’t a particularly new design; they only have two jibs. A 155% and a 100%, which in One Design is all that is allowed. It’s a big step down to the #3 if you need to go there, so it helps to have a sail that covers a broad range especially when your options are limited. The RACE sail was very light, I noticed when I picked it up, considerably lighter than the other sail we have. It responded really well in light air to backstay and halyard adjustments, behaving much like an L1 would. As the wind increased and we worked through the range of the sail, it turned into a heavy air sail by adding backstay and halyard adjustments. It was pretty obvious the sail had a lot of range, which is important because, you may or may not know: we hank our jibs on, so any change is done downwind. In San Francisco, you are going to hit the upper limit of the L1 at some point during the day. You often end up starting with the large jib, but by the top mark wishing you didn’t have it up. It needs to be robust enough to handle those situations yet light and shapely enough for the lighter end stuff, and we had all those conditions in our series.” Having confirmed our theory that RACE would carry through a wider range, Nick elaborated on the end-user benefit of carrying a smaller inventory. “You usually sacrifice one thing for another. If you designed the sail a year ago – before you had this technology – you would basically make the sail heavier than you really wanted to just so that it could handle the windy days when you couldn’t make changes quickly. In our area, the winter season always brings lighter conditions, so you’d be carrying around a sail that isn’t a great option for the conditions and may be sailing against someone who sacrificed strength and opted for a lighter range sail. “In my experience, 3Di really holds shape well and is durable. I am looking forward to the next couple years to see how it does.” We consider Nick’s initial feedback a win for the (3Di RACE) books and will continue to follow his progress. To discover how 3Di RACE can transform your inventory, contact your North Sails expert today. To stay in touch with RACE REPORTS subscribe to our newsletter below, and tag your own updates with #builttorace. READ MORE

OCTOBER 22-23, LARCHMONT, NY The J/105 North American Championships wrapped yesterday at Larchmont Yacht Club with seven races total. North-powered teams sailed and finished well among the competitive 40 boat fleet, with Terry McLaughlin on Mandate ultimately stealing the win! As the current Canadian champion, this is the second high-powered win for Mandate this season. Tight racing took place between 2nd and 3rd place with Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault on Good Trade coming out ahead on a tie-break. Not far behind was Adrian Owles on Mad Blue with 51 points, placing 5th overall. An illustrious victory for North teams, and notable participation victory for the J/105 class as a whole! READ MORE

SWAN 45 WORLD CHAMPION ELENA- WINNER’S INTERVIEW In eight races, Christian Plump and his team on Elena Nova posted only one score out of the top two at the Rolex Swan 45 Worlds—so he won his new watch by eleven points. This consistency was especially impressive in the ever-changing conditions found off Porto Cervo, Italy, where seven countries were represented by the sixteen boat fleet. 1. What conditions did you encounter at this event and how prepared were you and your team? We encountered wind from 8-32 kts with substantial shifts. We adapted to the changing wind conditions by adjusting the rig and sail trim accordingly. As our team is racing many years with the same set-up, we have a good routine in boat handling and communication. 2. What was the biggest contributor to your success in winning this regatta? There is not only one contributor to success. Teamwork, sail trim, tactical and navigational decisions, concentrated helming and new North Sails designs were all very important. 3. What was the most important part about your boat set up? Our boat was prepared to adjust for light air and strong winds as we expected both in Porto Cervo. The rig and trim worked well with our new North sails. Also the boat had no breakdowns of sails or mechanics. 4. Can you give us three things that you and your team did during the event to be “in the groove”? Working constantly on boat speed Focusing on crew weight management Using tactically all wind shifts 5. As the skipper, can you tell us how you communicated with your crew during each race? We constantly communicated on the changing environment of wind and waves and adjusted sail trim and heel angle accordingly. 6. What was the most important part of each race? Launching off the start in good position to be first at the windward mark. 7. Which leg of the race did you find you had the best boat speed, boat handling, and tactics? In race number seven, with 30 knots on the downwind course, nailing the jibes. 8. When is the next time you will sail with your team? Our next sailing event will be Palma Vela 2017. 10. If you could choose, where would you have the Swan 45 Worlds next year? We would prefer to have the Worlds in Palma in September/October 2017. 11.What was your favorite moment of the regatta? Passing the finish line in the last race and winning the Worlds. This is the third time we won a World Championship: in 2007 we won the IMS Worlds, in 2010 the ORC Worlds, and now in 2016 the Swan 45 One Design. It is important to us not only to win performance-rated races under ORC but also in One Design. READ MORE

In eight races, Christian Plump and his team on Elena Nova posted only one score out of the top two at the Rolex Swan 45 Worlds—so he won his new watch by eleven points. This consistency was especially impressive in the ever-changing conditions found off Porto Cervo, Italy, where seven countries were represented by the sixteen boat fleet. 1. What conditions did you encounter at this event and how prepared were you and your team? We encountered wind from 8-32 kts with substantial shifts. We adapted to the changing wind conditions by adjusting the rig and sail trim accordingly. As our team is racing many years with the same set-up, we have a good routine in boat handling and communication. 2. What was the biggest contributor to your success in winning this regatta? There is not only one contributor to success. Teamwork, sail trim, tactical and navigational decisions, concentrated helming and new North Sails designs were all very important. 3. What was the most important part about your boat set up? Our boat was prepared to adjust for light air and strong winds as we expected both in Porto Cervo. The rig and trim worked well with our new North sails. Also the boat had no breakdowns of sails or mechanics. 4. Can you give us three things that you and your team did during the event to be “in the groove”? Working constantly on boat speed Focusing on crew weight management Using tactically all wind shifts 5. As the skipper, can you tell us how you communicated with your crew during each race? We constantly communicated on the changing environment of wind and waves and adjusted sail trim and heel angle accordingly. 6. What was the most important part of each race? Launching off the start in good position to be first at the windward mark. 7. Which leg of the race did you find you had the best boat speed, boat handling, and tactics? In race number seven, with 30 knots on the downwind course, nailing the jibes. 8. When is the next time you will sail with your team? Our next sailing event will be Palma Vela 2017. 10. If you could choose, where would you have the Swan 45 Worlds next year? We would prefer to have the Worlds in Palma in September/October 2017. 11.What was your favorite moment of the regatta? Passing the finish line in the last race and winning the Worlds. This is the third time we won a World Championship: in 2007 we won the IMS Worlds, in 2010 the ORC Worlds, and now in 2016 the Swan 45 One Design. It is important to us not only to win performance-rated races under ORC but also in One Design. READ MORE

JOEL RONNING AND TEAM CATAPULT WIN THE 2017 J/70 WORLDS Innovation in Design Leads to Success on the Water The team at North Sails One Design is very proud of the results our clients achieved in San Francisco at the 2016 J/70 Alcatel World Championship. Congratulations to Joel Ronning and his team on Catapult for a brilliantly sailed regatta with consistent top 10 results, which proved to be the most critical element in the 12-race series. North Sails is a company that never stops the quest to design and construct better and faster sails and our recently launched XCS-1 Mainsail is another example of that process. The XCS-1 was developed to meet our clients’ requests for a more dynamic and less rig tune critical sail. The results at the Worlds couldn’t be more rewarding to our sail designers and experts. Five of the top 10 teams used theXCS-1 Mainsail, including the winning team. Here’s the top 10 break down: Photos Chris Howell | One Design Association Management READ MORE

J/80 PRODUCT RANGE FOR 2017 Spanish Cup 2016 – Winners Bribon/Movistar racing with the new BTY-15 Jib The 2017 range of products for the J/80 are now ready. Check out all the details below. Our Class Experts are ready and waiting to advise if you need information or have any questions, so please do not hesitate to contact them. J/80 MAXM1 All-Purpose Mainsail The MAXM1 World Championship winning design by Max Skelley is manufactured with a crosscut panel layout using Dimension 260B HTP Dacron. The crosscut layout provides for a forgiving, user-friendly and easy to trim mainsail. J/80 T-6R All-Purpose Mainsail The World Championship winning T-6R Mainsail uses a full radial panel layout, which allows the sail to cope with the loads running through it when sailing. This gives a smoother sail, which holds its shape longer than a more conventional cross cut sail. The T-6R is made from North Sails’ own Radian 6.3oz Dacron. This is the world’s first high performance warp oriented Dacron. J/80 BTY-12-3DL All-Purpose 3DL Jib The BTY-12-3DL All Purpose thermo moulded sail offers a stronger more durable sail with excellent performance and longevity. The BTY-23DL has proved to be an outstanding all round sail around the globe. J/80 BTY-15 All-Purpose Panelled Jib New for 2017 the BTY-15 All Purpose full radial jib has seen an instant success winning its first regattas straight out of the blocks. The sail is manufactured from North Sails’ NLXI14 Aramid, which offers a quick and easy to trim sail throughout all conditions. J/80 MR-5 Spinnaker World and multiple national winning design, the MR-5 is an all purpose sail giving excellent all round performance. It is manufactured using 0.6oz Superkote 60 spinnaker fabric from Contender and comes standard in red, white or blue. READ MORE

B14 INLAND CHAMPIONSHIP North Sails 1,2,3 The B14 Flying Circus headed to Datchet for the last event in the GUL 2016 TT series. The weekend was to be more about ghosting round the course rather than flying, with lots of rain and some sun on Saturday, which did for one of the B14s on the way to the event with trailer light socket failure but 17 B14s still made the journey. Sunday started with mist and eventual sun. Up for grabs, was the GUL TT series overall, GUL B14 Inlands and the top prize from GUL, a weekend at the Watergate Hotel in Watergate Bay with surfing or SUP lesson for the winning team. So all eyes were on the prizes as well as the racing Both days were to be very close with real snakes and ladders. Many teams were to have their turn at the front during Saturday, but the holes (or should we say snakes and ladders) led to several changes in the lead. As the rain/clouds came through, some gusts bounced off the surface with little warning. The one capsize occurred on a leeward mark rounding whist dropping the kite to GBR 724 (Steve Hollingsworth/Elliot Holman) whilst in the lead. A couple of new teams turned up for their first event prior to the assault on the 2017 series. A couple of guest helms (Jasper Barnham (Merlins/2000s) and Ian Horlock (Supernova)) had a run out and had some good results as well. All the way through the fleet there was good competition to be had with a right ding dong over the 4 races at the front between the top 4 with little quarter given or taken. On the day, Team Harken (Nick Craig/Toby Lewis) pulled many rabbits out of the hat to lead overnight from Blue Badge (Mike Bees/Ferrett) Team GUL/North Sails (Mark Barnes/Char Jones) equal second. What could they do the following day to reverse fortunes. Could Team GUL/North Sails crack the settings on the Dacron jib they were running for the weekend or Blue Badge find its parking bay on the start line Saturday evening the fleet disappeared off to Spices for dinner in Datchet village, whilst Nick headed off to go line dancing at a village get together. Unfortunately there is no footage as we’d all love to have seen it. Sunday dawned and we were greeted by mist and fickle wind. After bacon butties, coffee/tea, the sun did its business, a very patchy light breeze kicked in. The day’s star team was to be Team Ullman (Kathy Sherrett/Alex Horlock) achieving 4, 3, 2, 3 so dragging them close to the podium as both Blue Badge and Team GUL/North Sails had an indifferent day finding to many holes and headers, and NA Another Asbo (Crispin Taylor/Guy Harrell) sailing round the front 6 boats on one run and winning a race. Team Harken, Nick was still stepping to the right then left and doing a turn, but the team were still pulling rabbits out of the hat and creeping through in stealth mode. Must be all that time sailing on a pond called Frensham Pond in his youth. So at the end of the day, Team Harken won out from Team GUL/North Sails and Blue Badge just holding on to beat Team Ullman Blue Badge won the TT Series from Team GUL/North Sails and Donkey (Mark Watts/Chris Bishop) Great prizes and tokens from GUL were spread out through the fleet with the youth getting the merit prizes. GUL B14 Inlands Tin rig went to GBR 707 (Ian Horlock/Amir Shamuddin) Then came the big prize. Each team that attended an event, got one entry for every event they attended. This was the one we all wanted to win. So the bag was opened and out came one entry. The team in question had only done 2 TT series events. Team Customised Composites (Carl Raynes/Guy Raynes) were the winners of the biggest rabbit pulled out of the hat all weekend The club ran a great event on the water with quick turnarounds and good courses in very difficult conditions where we saw big wind shifts and pressure changes. Off the water early breakfasts were greatly appreciated and the bar on arrival ashore The next events will be the Seavolution Winter Pursuit Series, with some great prizes, consists of 4 events over the winter. Pre-event indications are that attendances should be good. We’ll see all there Draycote Dash Draycote SC 19-20 November 2016 Datchet Flyer DWSC 10-11 December 2016 Grafham Grand Prix GWSC 2 January 2017 Starcross Steamer Starcross SC 5 February 2017 GUL B14 TT Series 2017 is now online on the B14 Facebook page B14 Sailors and B14 website www.b14.org GUL B14 Inlands 1. Team Harken – Nick Craig/Toby Lewis – Frensham Pond SC 2. Team GUL/North Sails – Mark Barnes/Charlotte Jones – Whitstable YC/Exe SC 3. Blue Badge – Mike Bees/Ferrett – Brightlingsea SC Gull TT Series 2016 Overall Winner 1. Blue Badge – Mike Bees/Ferrett – Brightlingsea SC READ MORE

J30 NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP Zephyr Dominates the Event Scott Tonguis and team Zephyr won four of the seven races at the 2016 J/30 North American Championship in Annapolis, MD. We spoke with him shortly after the event. 1. What conditions did you encounter at this event and how prepared were you and your team? We saw winds of 3-20 knots. We were armed with new North Sails designed by Benz Faget. We were the top fundraising team in the nation for the Leukemia Cup Regatta series (we raised $127,000), so the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and North Sails awarded Zephyr a 25% discount, which helped us purchase a great set of sails from Benz. 2. What was the biggest contributor to your success in winning this regatta? Great sails along with proper rig tuning. Having a least seven loaner boat J30 NAs under our belt. Our past experiences have proven that you can take a boat that may not have seen the race course in quite a while and clean the bottom, check the rigging, tune the rig, host some new North Sails, and go give ‘em a hand full. So we were confident that we would be in the hunt. 3. What was the most important part about your boat set up? Making sure the rig tuning was close to optimum so the sails could do their magic. If the rig tune is right, then the sails are working great. If the sails are working great, then the boat is going fast. If the boat is going fast, then the crew can get their heads out of the boat to look around the racecourse for wind shifts and fleet management. If you are going fast, you can keep your lane. If you keep your lane, you can go to the side of the course you think will be favored. 4. Name three things that you and your team did during the races that proved to be fast. Rig tuning Due to the shifty winds, we seemed to sail most of the regatta with our bow down trying to speed across the course to the next shift. Whenever we were fortunate enough to find ourselves on the inside of a lift, we would press the bow down to speed to the next shift. Most of the time it worked out quite well. The J30 does not really like to accelerate, so while sailing downwind you want to make sure you use some of a header to build boat speed before turning a little deeper. Do not get it slow! 5. How long have you been sailing in the J/30 class? I cannot believe it has been this long: 30 years, 3 decades! I was a senior in high school when my family purchased the original Zephyr, which was destroyed in Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. We hope to have a 30 year Zephyr reunion in late Oct. 2017 down in New Orleans, in conjunction with the J30 NA’s on Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans Yacht Club. It is quite humbling to realize the Zephyr program is still very relevant after thirty years. I guess we are doing something right. I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people along the way, many of whom are my best friends and mentors. 6. What were your strengths on the racecourse? Which leg did YOU favor the most? I know the strengths and weaknesses of the boat. I guess that is where thirty years of experience on the boat comes into play. If you are able to keep the boat out of its areas of weakness, you are usually able to avoid a bad situation on the racecourse. 7. What was your most memorable moment of the regatta? I can tell you my least memorable moment, the first start, it was bad! Luckily we were able to tack to port just after the start and rumble over to the right side. Great boat speed along with a little righty got us back in the race. Otherwise, my most memorable moment was catching up with friends! I no longer live in New Orleans, so I do not get a chance to spend too much time with my good friends who just happen to be my crew. Traveling to the NAs is special for us because everyone is away from the distractions of home, work, and family—a four day hall pass to hang with the boys. READ MORE

Scott Tonguis and team Zephyr won four of the seven races at the 2016 J/30 North American Championship in Annapolis, MD. We spoke with him shortly after the event. 1. What conditions did you encounter at this event and how prepared were you and your team? We saw winds of 3-20 knots. We were armed with new North Sails designed by Benz Faget. We were the top fundraising team in the nation for the Leukemia Cup Regatta series (we raised $127,000), so the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and North Sails awarded Zephyr a 25% discount, which helped us purchase a great set of sails from Benz. 2. What was the biggest contributor to your success in winning this regatta? Great sails along with proper rig tuning. Having a least seven loaner boat J30 NAs under our belt. Our past experiences have proven that you can take a boat that may not have seen the race course in quite a while and clean the bottom, check the rigging, tune the rig, host some new North Sails, and go give ‘em a hand full. So we were confident that we would be in the hunt. 3. What was the most important part about your boat set up? Making sure the rig tuning was close to optimum so the sails could do their magic. If the rig tune is right, then the sails are working great. If the sails are working great, then the boat is going fast. If the boat is going fast, then the crew can get their heads out of the boat to look around the racecourse for wind shifts and fleet management. If you are going fast, you can keep your lane. If you keep your lane, you can go to the side of the course you think will be favored. 4. Name three things that you and your team did during the races that proved to be fast. – Rig tuning – Due to the shifty winds, we seemed to sail most of the regatta with our bow down trying to speed across the course to the next shift. Whenever we were fortunate enough to find ourselves on the inside of a lift, we would press the bow down to speed to the next shift. Most of the time it worked out quite well. – The J30 does not really like to accelerate, so while sailing downwind you want to make sure you use some of a header to build boat speed before turning a little deeper. Do not get it slow! 5. How long have you been sailing in the J/30 class? I cannot believe it has been this long: 30 years, 3 decades! I was a senior in high school when my family purchased the original Zephyr, which was destroyed in Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. We hope to have a 30 year Zephyr reunion in late Oct. 2017 down in New Orleans, in conjunction with the J30 NA’s on Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans Yacht Club. It is quite humbling to realize the Zephyr program is still very relevant after thirty years. I guess we are doing something right. I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people along the way, many of whom are my best friends and mentors. 6. What were your strengths on the racecourse? Which leg did YOU favor the most? I know the strengths and weaknesses of the boat. I guess that is where thirty years of experience on the boat comes into play. If you are able to keep the boat out of its areas of weakness, you are usually able to avoid a bad situation on the racecourse. 7. What was your most memorable moment of the regatta? I can tell you my least memorable moment, the first start, it was bad! Luckily we were able to tack to port just after the start and rumble over to the right side. Great boat speed along with a little righty got us back in the race. Otherwise, my most memorable moment was catching up with friends! I no longer live in New Orleans, so I do not get a chance to spend too much time with my good friends who just happen to be my crew. Traveling to the NAs is special for us because everyone is away from the distractions of home, work, and family—a four day hall pass to hang with the boys. READ MORE

The North Sails Group is deeply saddened by the passing of Terry Kohler, owner of North Sails from 1984-2014. North Sails and all of its employees around the world would like to pass their condolences to the family Terry leaves behind, especially his wife Mary. Terry bought North Sails from Lowell North upon North’s retirement in 1984. Terry was passionate about North Sails and helping North maintain it’s position as technology leader within sailmaking. A graduate of internationally renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Terry saw the huge potential in embracing technology. It is under his guidance that North Sails introduced 3D sailmaking and our technologically advanced manufacturing and logistical systems. In 2008 Terry brought North Sails and Southern Spars under the North Technology Group, putting in motion the concept of “The Engine Above The Deck.” North Technology Group has since grown into a diverse family of companies serving marine and manufacturing markets worldwide. Each company was built on the principle of delivering advanced performance through superior technology and a commitment to quality craftsmanship and customer service. Terry’s love of sailing spilled over into the wider sailing community. He was a generous supporter of the sport, in particular women’s sailing. Terry was especially interested in women’s match racing, having worked with the last US Women’s Olympic Team in 2012. Some of his greatest legacies will be the Sail Sheboygan Sailing Center and the non-profit Sailing Education Associate of Sheboygan (SEAS). “Terry’s business acumen and discipline were the perfect fit for North Sails when he bought the company from Lowell,” commented Tom Whidden, CEO of North Technology Group. “He was first passionate about sailing but secondly passionate about making North a more business-like company. He was insistent on using computer technology and communications systems that were very progressive at the time. His aggressive approach to wild ideas is a trait that has been filtered through our entire company culture. Personally, I will miss Terry’s guide, but his passion for North will stay as part of our DNA.” READ MORE

2016 MELGES 20 WORLDS Q&A Interview with Frederico Michetti, Trimmer on Pinta – Winner of the 2016 World Championship Freddy, let’s begin at the end! You are now the only sailor in history to have won all the Melges sportboat design titles having won the M24, M32 and now the M20 Worlds. How does it feel ? FREDDY: For more than 20 years I’ve considered Melges boats to be the best monohull sportboat to race. Capturing the Melges 20 Worlds title with our incredible team makes me really happy and proud. Looking back, I have had incredibly happy moments with all the teams that I raced with. They are always in my heart and this victory is dedicated to them too! The first world title I won was with the Melges 24 “Sabino Express” in La Rochelle back in 2000. Certainly that first title is one I will never forget as I was able to compete side by side with an unforgettable friend who is no longer with us. Our win with the PINTA team is a victory that certainly punctuates my sailing career in the fantastic Melges world. I am very thankful to Michael Illbruck and to the team for making it happen! What can you tell us about the “journey” with the PINTA Team? It is an incredible feat for you guys to manage to win the Worlds right after one racing year… fantastic! FREDDY: I have been following Michael’s sailing adventures since I was a kid. That’s why PINTA represents more than a simple sailing team to me. It represents a real icon and legend in our world which started writing its own history back in 1969 with Michael’s father, Willy. In this first season Melges 20 PINTA was aiming only to be adequately competitive with the goal of being prepared for a run at the 2017 Melges 20 Worlds being held in Newport so we knew already that we had to commit to achieve our goal. The “journey” is a little strategy that we created to focus on what we were doing without being overloaded with stress or, even worse, with high expectations which can do more harm than good. Therefore the “journey” has helped us as we allowed ourselves to concentrate on learning and on sailing empathetically. We were going back onshore after each race or practice satisfied that we had given our best. So, the short story for our preparation was: “Let’s focus on the Journey and not the goal…” At the end we respected the original plan and we worked really hard from the first day we began sailing together. We also teamed up as much as possible onshore increasing our positive and serene attitude. To this extent Micheal is a indeed a very special sailor! These things have helped the team grow together and improve our racing performance without any form of pressure or anxiety. Defeats are painful though! Willy (Michael’s father, one of the most winning owners in the history of sailing) used to say: “You must experience a defeat before you learn how to win!.” We found this to be very true and helpful in our less successful moments. Winning the world title wasn’t in our dreams even as we realized that our performance was improving and we were becoming very competitive race by race. John Kostecki’s expertise of Team PINTA – he has been sailing for the team for the past 22 years! – has indeed been a key factor and essential to winning the championship! You are the “Speed Boss” on board which means you trim the sails, tune the mast, take care of managing the boat handling, etc. Can you give us tips to keep in mind to go fast upwind and downwind ? FREDDY: The Melges 20 is an intriguing, fun-to-sail boat. The three-person team sails with their legs onboard creating totally new dynamics: each team member contributes to tactics, trim and tuning. On PINTA start with a setting which can easily be adapted or changed in case the conditions change. We choose a tune that uses the tracks in their full range. Heeling angle is the key to success – being able to keep a stable and constant angle seems to ensure consistent, successful performances. I reckon that the heeling angle is the key to success in that being able to keep a stable and constant angle seems to ensure consistent, successful performances. In the Melges 20 class there is no crew-weight limit. Some teams sail with three while others opt for four crew. What are your thoughts about crew weight and numbers on the Melges 20? FREDDY: The class does not foresee a weight limit which takes away the stress of compulsory weigh-in and related extreme diets. The fleets swings between 240 – 275 kg (530-605 lbs). I think that 260kg (573 lbs) is the optimum weight. On PINTA our average weight was +270kg (595 lbs) which doesn’t really help in light wind conditions! What sails & codes you would recommend ? Could you define wind-range & sea-state to choose if flying a Runner or a Reacher ? FREDDY: In the last two seasons North Sails has worked really hard to develop an easy to use, all-round inventory. I’m really proud of what we came up with. The results speak for themselves. On PINTA we sail with standard North sails: M-16 mainsail LM Jib (former J-11B) V4-2R and R2 Runner. The V4 has proven to be a great all-round sail and is a must in the lazy planning condition where the heeling angle is the most important factor. The R2 is a great sail in the range of 7 to 11 knots. As President of Melges Europe what can you tell us about the future of this Class and upcoming Melges 20 racing ? FREDDY: The Melges 20 class is experiencing extraordinary momentum, especially considering a perceived downturn in sailing industry worldwide. The world championship in Scarlino had record attendance with the highest number of competitors ever registered for a Melges 20 World Championship. Not only have the attendance figures been encouraging but also the feedback of the owners after the event has been particularly brilliant. It is exciting for me that more and more clients are supporting us and asking for more races with the typical “Melges style” support both on the water and onshore. Never before have I personally experienced such an inviting, addicting and comfortable class. Top teams that compete with Corinthians or family driven teams under the eyes of an always competent and trustful jury. This is what makes the class so special and allows us to enjoy a racing schedule of more than 20 events in venues such as Monte Carlo, Miami, Toronto, The Med and Japan. This is the Melges 20 class heritage! Our commitment at Melges is to offer to our client an attractive and unique sailing experience. Team Melges is working hard to make this happen now and in the future. READ MORE

It has been a beautiful weekend here in Toulon. It was as we had all anticipated – a light air regatta – so there were no surprises there but it is a really interesting fleet when its these sort of conditions. A couple of the players are super competitive in the light air, especially the local heroes on Groupama so it was set up to be a great regatta. I’m not sure I would have much liked to be taking part but it turned out to be nail biting to watch and a really fun event. One of the other things that I was interested in this weekend was – will TEAM USA struggle with Jimmy Spithill being out and them having to use a new helmsman in Tom Slingsby? I think we have seen time and again now that no matter how talented the ‘stand in’ helmsmen is in their own right (and we have had a pretty stellar list in Franceso Bruni, Glenn Ashby and now Tom Slingsby), it is not easy. Oracle Team USA certainly scuffled at this event but it shows that practice really makes perfect. Let’s be honest these guys are superstars in the sport but they have all found it hard to be catapulted into the helmsmen position, it also gives you an idea of the level of talent that is out there, it is incredible. In terms of the racing, it was a ‘streaks’ weekend – the longest streak won the regatta and that was Artemis Racing here. They looked prepared, organised and very calm. The first question I asked Outerridge yesterday, when we talked to him post-race, was whether he thought it was a coincidence that the two teams led by helmsmen who had just competed in the Olympics Games in Rio (Outerridge and Burling) were also the two teams who came out of the blocks hardest and best. He did not think it was coincidence at all. I reckon it shows that racing and testing are two completely different things. Testing in a boat that is actually very different to these boats versus actual racing – hand to hand combat, keeping your mind sharp and making those split second decisions better are just not the same. He felt race ready and super sharp and look where they ended up…. The slight irony is that Artemis have struggled with consistency throughout this series yet it was their performances over the whole weekend that won them this regatta. They have either done really well or really badly but haven’t managed to string together the bits in the middle. The problem with that is you can quickly lose quite a lot of points and see yourself slipping down the leader board. On the flip side of that, if in between the wins you can grind out some middle of the fleet finishes you can keep yourself in contention. I think the other teams that did well showed this to be true – Softbank Team Japan had a lousy streak of races on Saturday but a streak of great races today (Sunday) and they are second overall. It feels like we hardly even talked about them that much this weekend but there they are on the podium. The same thing with Land Rover BAR – shocking first day with two last places on Saturday and then you look at the scoreboard and they came out having extended their overall lead at the end of the regatta. I would say the big surprise of the event was Burling – he came out fast, and they looked great but I am guessing the team will be disappointed in how it finished. You could make a case that he was still celebrating and his mind wasn’t quite fully back into it, I mean a gold medal would make you a little giddy but they said that wasn’t the case, they said they were mentally ready and I think they will feel they under performed in the end. They had a real shot at getting back solidly into the overall standings but they didn’t really do that. They are fighting for a big two points going into the challenger series and right now with all the scuffling and weirdness of this weekend, Land Rover BAR comes out with a reasonable result and a pretty substantial lead to fight for those two points going into the last, Japanese regatta. Looking to Japan, it is going to be really interesting as what we saw here is the ability to make up standings and gains in just a few races. So still the top three are right in the hunt but I think Land Rover BAR might look at Japan a bit differently in terms of strategy. Up to now it has all been about winning the regatta but in Japan it becomes more about winning the ‘war’. You have to forget the battle now and look to the bigger picture – who is second, third etc and make sure you don’t do anything silly and keep the guys behind you in check. So maybe the top three will now be looking at the overall standings rather than just on the individual regatta standings. None of them, across the whole fleet, will give up anything and we have seen how so much can change so quickly so it is going to be all to play for. I love Japan and they have a great sailing fan base and I know lots of people are really excited about the America’s Cup reaching their shores, so I am really looking forward to the final stop in this tour before the countdown to Bermuda. READ MORE

It has been a beautiful weekend here in Toulon. It was as we had all anticipated – a light air regatta – so there were no surprises there but it is a really interesting fleet when its these sort of conditions. A couple of the players are super competitive in the light air, especially the local heroes on Groupama so it was set up to be a great regatta. I’m not sure I would have much liked to be taking part but it turned out to be nail biting to watch and a really fun event. One of the other things that I was interested in this weekend was – will TEAM USA struggle with Jimmy Spithill being out and them having to use a new helmsman in Tom Slingsby? I think we have seen time and again now that no matter how talented the ‘stand in’ helmsmen is in their own right (and we have had a pretty stellar list in Franceso Bruni, Glenn Ashby and now Tom Slingsby), it is not easy. Oracle Team USA certainly scuffled at this event but it shows that practice really makes perfect. Let’s be honest these guys are superstars in the sport but they have all found it hard to be catapulted into the helmsmen position, it also gives you an idea of the level of talent that is out there, it is incredible. In terms of the racing, it was a ‘streaks’ weekend – the longest streak won the regatta and that was Artemis Racing here. They looked prepared, organised and very calm. The first question I asked Outerridge yesterday, when we talked to him post-race, was whether he thought it was a coincidence that the two teams led by helmsmen who had just competed in the Olympics Games in Rio (Outerridge and Burling) were also the two teams who came out of the blocks hardest and best. He did not think it was coincidence at all. I reckon it shows that racing and testing are two completely different things. Testing in a boat that is actually very different to these boats versus actual racing – hand to hand combat, keeping your mind sharp and making those split second decisions better are just not the same. He felt race ready and super sharp and look where they ended up… The slight irony is that Artemis have struggled with consistency throughout this series yet it was their performances over the whole weekend that won them this regatta. They have either done really well or really badly but haven’t managed to string together the bits in the middle. The problem with that is you can quickly lose quite a lot of points and see yourself slipping down the leader board. On the flip side of that, if in between the wins you can grind out some middle of the fleet finishes you can keep yourself in contention. I think the other teams that did well showed this to be true – Softbank Team Japan had a lousy streak of races on Saturday but a streak of great races today (Sunday) and they are second overall. It feels like we hardly even talked about them that much this weekend but there they are on the podium. The same thing with Land Rover BAR – shocking first day with two last places on Saturday and then you look at the scoreboard and they came out having extended their overall lead at the end of the regatta. I would say the big surprise of the event was Burling – he came out fast, and they looked great but I am guessing the team will be disappointed in how it finished. You could make a case that he was still celebrating and his mind wasn’t quite fully back into it, I mean a gold medal would make you a little giddy but they said that wasn’t the case, they said they were mentally ready and I think they will feel they under performed in the end. They had a real shot at getting back solidly into the overall standings but they didn’t really do that. They are fighting for a big two points going into the challenger series and right now with all the scuffling and weirdness of this weekend, Land Rover BAR comes out with a reasonable result and a pretty substantial lead to fight for those two points going into the last, Japanese regatta. Looking to Japan, it is going to be really interesting as what we saw here is the ability to make up standings and gains in just a few races. So still the top three are right in the hunt but I think Land Rover BAR might look at Japan a bit differently in terms of strategy. Up to now it has all been about winning the regatta but in Japan it becomes more about winning the ‘war’. You have to forget the battle now and look to the bigger picture – who is second, third etc and make sure you don’t do anything silly and keep the guys behind you in check. So maybe the top three will now be looking at the overall standings rather than just on the individual regatta standings. None of them, across the whole fleet, will give up anything and we have seen how so much can change so quickly so it is going to be all to play for. I love Japan and they have a great sailing fan base and I know lots of people are really excited about the America’s Cup reaching their shores, so I am really looking forward to the final stop in this tour before the countdown to Bermuda. READ MORE

The 2016 ONE Regatta (Offshore New England Championships) took place in late August out of Marblehead, MA. 13 J/105s competed as a one design fleet, and Dave Nelson’s team on Got Qi won the ten race series by posting only one finish out of the top four. We caught up with Dave after the event. What conditions did you encounter at this event? We saw fairly light conditions on day 1 of the regatta, probably around 5-10 knots. On days 2 and 3 we saw better wind, ranging from 8 – 15 knots. How prepared were you and your team and the boat? The core of the team (myself, owner Matt Pike, Dennis Bell, and Bill Collins) have been sailing the boat every Wednesday night in Hingham for the past eight years. We sail with spinnakers in a very competitive fleet in a challenging venue (lots of current, islands, shifty winds). Over the years, we have been able to perfect our boat handling to the point where we don’t have to think about it. Just prior to the event we hauled the boat to make sure the bottom was clean. We have black bottom paint and it is difficult for the diver to see where he has cleaned. I’m glad we did this because there were a couple of areas that the diver had missed, on the bottom of the keel and the bottom of the rudder (big clumps of grass growing off the keel and rudder). What was the biggest contributor to your success in winning this regatta? We had consistently good starts at or near the favored end. After that, our boat speed kept us in the hunt even when the wind didn’t quite go our way. We had one bad start and rounded the windward mark in twelfth, but were able to claw back to a fourth. Lastly, our team work and boat handling never cost us a place in any race. We heard from your competitors that you were quite quick; can you give us some insight on why you guys were so fast? We purchased a North Light Air Jib and a North spinnaker just prior to the event, and we think this was a big factor in our boat speed. We had used the sails in only one PHRF race before, so we were a little nervous about what to expect. Upwind the light air jib gave us the punch we needed to get through the Marblehead chop. Downwind, the new spinnaker really rotated to windward nicely, allowing us to sail low and fast. Also I think the light air design was the right sail for this regatta. There were other boats with all purpose jibs and I know of at least one competitor that switched from the AP to the light air sail. The J/105 class now allows for each boat to carry two jibs, so picking the right jib for the conditions is becoming a factor in the boat set-up decision making process. Can you let us know how you and your team were setting the boat up? I always check the morning of the first day to make sure the rig is at the tuning guide’s base setting. We adjust from there based on the wind conditions. On days 1 and 2 we sailed at the light air rig setting (0 – 6 knots). On day 2 the wind came up over 6 knots and we talked about tightening to the next setting, but decided against this since we felt fast. On Day 3 we tightened up to 7-12, one below the base, for the last race of the day. I’d say we were usually one setting looser than what the tuning guide called for. Can you give us three things that you and your team would do in making your boat go fast? Because the jib was new to us, we were constantly evaluating the jib car setting and in the end we set it a little further forward than what the tuning guide specified. The crew was constantly adjusting sails, while giving feedback to the skipper and trimmer about our relative speed and point. We were very conscious about where the crew was placed, especially downwind; we made sure the crew was grouped together and forward, heeling the boat to windward once the wind conditions made this feasible. Tell us about your team and their crew positions. All of the team members have college sailing experience and now sail a variety of other one design and PHRF boats. We have a very deep team. Dave Nelson, Skipper Matt Pike (owner), Pit/Jib Trimmer Tom Robinson, Mainsheet/Tactician Ken Delpapa, Spinnaker Trimmer Dennis Bell, Bow Bill Collins, mid bow (halyard jumper/sewer) As the skipper, can you tell us how you interact with the crew during a race? Upwind, I have a fairly constant flow of information with the tactician and the jib trimmer about boat speed and positioning on the race course. Downwind, I am in constant communication with the spinnaker trimmer about speed and pressure. When the boat speed or pressure is up, we sail deeper; when the speed or pressure is less, we head up. Lastly, what are some things you and your team would like to work on for future events? I want to try going wing and wing with the asymmetric spinnaker. We haven’t yet been able to practice this enough to try it in a race. READ MORE

LESSONS FROM KINGSTON A conversation between J/22 World Champ Mike Marshall and class newcomer Zeke Horowitz What a pleasure it was to be a part of the J/22 World Championship in Kingston last week. As a newcomer to the class, it took no time at all to realize what an awesome group of people sail in this class, and how deep the talent pool is. I had a lot to learn about making the boat go fast and improving my boat handling so I was extremely grateful for the daily debriefs where the top performers of the day shared lots of tips. My team and I had a tremendous amount of fun, we learned a lot and made many new friends – all of whom I look forward to seeing at the next J/22 regatta! As a first time helmsman in the J/22, I had lots of opportunities to try different techniques and learn what worked best for me but I was very interested to compare what I thought was working to what the new World Champion, Mike Marshall, was doing to keep his boat speed up. Mike was kind enough to listen to my thoughts and help clear it all up for me in the interview below: ZEKE: This was a pretty “breeze on” event with most of the races sailed in 16 to 20+. Early on, one thing I learned from all the experts in this class was that once the breeze is into the teens, it is fast to center the traveler and forget about it. This leaves you with the mainsheet and backstay to play along with the jib sheet. I found that I liked the main set so it was just about to the point of inverting. I noticed lots of the fast boats were maxing out the backstay to the point where the main was totally “washed out” and appeared to be luffing with big wrinkles pointing from the mast down towards the clew. I found it faster to get the main to this point, but then ease the backstay just a couple of inches to get rid of those inversion wrinkles. Though I don’t think my pointing ability was particularly special…Tell me your thoughts on this and, in particular, how hard should I have been trimming my mainsheet to match this “inverted” main look with the backstay maxed out? MIKE: Interestingly, I was trimming the main in Kingston a bit differently than I would trim it for most other venues. Because the waves were pretty square, it was important to keep the boat moving at all times. So, while there are conditions when inverting the main is fast (big breeze and flatter water), these weren’t the Kingston conditions. In Kingston, we found that the backstay had to be much looser than we normally would have it. I think the reason was that we needed the power and return in the leech of the main to keep the bow up and pointing and to keep the boat powered up. I generally consider the backstay a coarse adjustment for the boat’s heel. Once we had that set properly, I’d trim the mainsheet so that the main’s top telltale was stalled at max 50% of the time. Stalled more, the boat would stop in the waves; any less stalled, and we’d be giving up height. I think that may have been the reason we had a slight edge with pointing over some teams so, while it can work to “wash out” the main we tried hard to make sure we had some “kick” in the leech of the main. ZEKE: Well, that’s the first thing we maybe weren’t quite doing right and that makes a lot of sense as to why we didn’t feel all that special in the pointing department. So, on our boat, we had a lot of discussions about jib lead positioning. We found that when the breeze was in the mid-teens, we liked the jib car 2 holes back from “base” because it would flatten the sail up top, but left a little bit of “punch” in the bottom of the jib to power through the waves. But once the breeze was up in the 20’s, we felt better moving the car back to 4 or 5 holes back from “base.” What visuals can I use to know that my jib car is in the right place, and how much is based on the feel of the helm or “return” on the main? MIKE: My easiest visual guideline for the jib car position is how the front of the jib’s foot sits on the deck. I look for the “Big Foot” sticker area of the jib to be on or just inside the toe rail when the jib is trimmed correctly for the condition, the heel of the boat, and how much the main is eased. Our goal in trimming the jib was that it be in as tight as possible as long as the top jib telltale wasn’t stalling and the main wasn’t luffing when it was eased. If we eased the main to keep the boat upright, we’d ease the jib to match. When all of this is correct, the foot of the jib in the area around the “Big Foot” sticker should be on or just inside the toe rail. If it was trending outside the toe rail, we’d move the car back. If it was trending well inside the toe rail, we’d move the car forward. This is a pretty good rule of thumb for the jib car position in almost any condition. In addition, I also use the feel of the helm. If the boat wants to turn up and I want to trim the jib tighter to balance it out but the top jib leech telltale is stalling, I’ll move the jib car back to be able to trim the sail tighter without the top telltale stalling. I try to sail with a pretty neutral helm in all conditions. ZEKE: That’s a great tip and one I can easily remember. As you know, and as predicted, CORK gave us big wind and big waves. At times, we were sailing in 3-4 foot waves that were fairly square and close together. In other boats I race regularly, I would be steering aggressively through this type of wave condition to try to minimize the slamming of the bow and keep the boat moving through the water as smoothly as possible. But in the J/22, I found that when I moved the tiller too much, it was quite difficult to maintain a steady level of heel and a balanced helm. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Tell me how you find the balance between maintaining steady heel and helm, and steering the boat through the waves as smoothly as possible. MIKE: You are certainly right about the sailing conditions at CORK. It was breezy and wavy, so having a solid game plan for those conditions really helped our team. I was lucky enough to have Todd Hiller do the bow for me. As anyone who has sailed in the J/22 class the past 20+ years knows, Todd is an extraordinary sailor. His main job going upwind was to call the breeze and waves. He was spot on for the whole event and this was a game-changing asset for almost everything I had to do. When I heard there was a puff or a lull coming, I could preemptively adjust the controls to be set for it and keep the heel of the boat constant. Even more importantly, when Todd called the waves, he was descriptive, calling flat spots, waves, chop, and big waves. When I heard flat spot and I could see it in my field of view, I’d pinch to keep the boat flat. When I heard waves, I knew I had to drive normally to keep the boat at full speed. When I heard chop or big waves, I’d wait until I could see them and then make a split-second decision to either put the bow down and power through them or try to steer around them, working the sails in conjunction. If the waves looked organized, I’d try to steer around them, which at times required a lot of tiller movement to stop from slamming (remember: up the front, down the back). I’d also trim the main pretty aggressively to keep the heel constant. If the waves looked disorganized, I’d ease the main and jib a little to keep the heel constant and simply power through the waves. Of course, there’s a lot going on in the back of the boat, and everything isn’t going to be perfect all the time. The ultimate goal is to keep the boat flat and up to speed. For that, I mostly use a combination of tiller and main trim because I have only two hands. ZEKE: That is a great point about how important teamwork and communication are in being successful in sailboat racing. It makes a lot of sense that having great information from your bow person (who is a top flight skipper in his own right) helps you keep the boat going fast. Certainly an important aspect for any team to work on is communication and it sounds like it really helped make your job a little bit easier. So my next thoughts are on overall game plans and how you guys worked through your strategies. I think the fleet was very fortunate to have a top quality race management team, led by David Sprague, and they did an absolutely stellar job setting a course and a starting line totally square to the breeze. On such a long course with a very long starting line, it is very difficult to decide on the game plan for the first beat. My team was always focused on picking the side of the course where we thought had the most pressure and then starting at the end that would get us to that side of the course the fastest. We did NOT want to go in the middle, though we ended up there more often than we wanted. How did your team decide which side of the course you wanted to go to and where to start? Did you ever change your game plan based on the start you ended up with? MIKE: I don’t think our overall process was much different from yours. Generally the decision of where to go rested on the shoulders of my trimmer, Luke Lawrence, and wow, did he impress! Luke really was dialed into what was going on around us which allowed me to focus on spending my time and energy making the boat go fast. Luke was correct about the side to go to almost every time, which really made the rest of the jobs easier. That said, it sounds like our strategy was very similar to yours. We’d look up the course at 4-5 minutes before the start and decide which side had more pressure. If we weren’t expecting a shift, we’d plan to head that way. Knowing that it was important to stay out of the middle, we went to our chosen side as fast as we could for almost every one of our races. We were a bit less conservative at the start than you were depending on how confident we were about the side. If we were very confident, our goal was to win the same side of the line as the side of the course that we wanted to head to. If we were less confident, we’d start near the boat so that the option to tack was still open if we didn’t like how things were unfolding. I also have to reiterate what you said about the fantastic job that David Sprague and the Race Committee did. It was one of the best jobs I’ve seen in quite a while. They set very square lines, moved marks when needed, and had almost no downtime between races. There’s not much more you can ask for. ZEKE: As important as it was to stay out of the middle of the beats, it seemed it was even more important to stay out of the middle on the downwind legs. My team learned that it was easy to get into trouble by doing an early jibe around the offset because you end up in the “cone of death.” With the fleet so tight at the weather mark, how did your team decide your exit strategy from the offset to set yourself up for success on the downwind? MIKE: Downwind is pretty exciting for me because it’s one of the few times that I’m actually allowed to look around! We’d always have a decision on whether we were gybing after the offset mark before we got halfway down the offset leg. From there, it became my job to execute the plan. If we were rounding and going straight, my job was to keep us in a clear lane while Todd and Luke had their heads in the boat. If we were gybing, my job was to jibe and keep the boat going fast as we sailed through the upwind boats. The only time we jibed in the “cone of death” was when we were already on layline to the next mark. Even if there were only 400 yards of starboard on the downwind, we’d sail them first to extend away from the cone of no wind under the mark. Otherwise, our strategy, much like yours, was to stay out of the middle on the downwind because there was always more breeze on the edges. Air doesn’t like to flow between objects where there’s lots of resistance, so when you go downwind with a large mass of boats, the air tends to flow around that mass, not through it. This is why the best wind is on the edges. ZEKE: Speaking of going downwind…. That was certainly exciting! I learned a lot about sailing downwind in big breeze and big waves and the biggest lesson was – do whatever you can to keep surfing! When the boat is surfing, the sails are much more unloaded which makes them easier to trim, and the boat is less likely to get “wobbly.” I found myself using a lot of rudder to try to steer the boat down the waves while surfing, and to prevent it from crashing into the next wave in front of us. I know it is slow to use lots of rudder. Tell me the secret to helping the boat stay on the waves downwind without using too much rudder. MIKE: Yes, in big breeze, the J/22 can be quite a handful downwind, but you can use a few tricks to keep everything under control a bit better. I think that the time when things get the most “sketchy” is when you try to go too low or get caught in a bad wave and the boat heels to windward. But the J/22 is just an overgrown dinghy, so if Luke gave the sheet a quick pump when we heeled to windward and I gave the main a sharp pump, the boat would settle back out. Both pumps help to make the bow turn up, which aids in keeping the hull under the top of the mast and the boat from falling over. Beyond using the sails, Todd was always on his feet downwind, moving from side to side to keep the boat flat. Because he was facing aft already while calling the wind, he could just look at the end of the tiller, and whichever way it was pointing was the direction that I needed him to move. As far as the amount of rudder is concerned, you’re going to have to move the tiller, but less is better as long as you accomplish the goal of keeping the hull under the top of the mast. ZEKE: So it sounds like at least we were doing that right! You mentioned pumping the main and spinnaker to help steer the boat. It had been a while since I’d raced a boat that was so rewarding to pump downwind. The boat seemed very responsive to a pump of the mainsheet to promote surfing. We thought that pumping the spinnaker sheet and the guy together was OK too, but I wasn’t sure it was totally necessary. With so much load on the spinnaker, do you really need to pump it downwind when there is that much breeze? Or is a pump of the mainsheet enough? Maybe you can help me decide where that line is. Can you tell me how you decide when it is time to pump? MIKE: Yes, the boat is very lively downwind and reacts very well to pumping. We’ve tried a lot of different ways to pump the kite, but we’ve found that the fastest is just to pump the kite sheet. Since you’re already sailing such a low angle, trimming the guy further back seems only to pull the boat sideways and not down the wave. I think that in the bigger breeze conditions a pump of the mainsheet might be all that’s needed but a kite pump too certainly doesn’t seem to hurt. As it gets lighter, pumping the kite gets more and more important because there is less power in the main alone to get the boat on the wave. It seems that as long as you can pump and initiate a surf on a wave, it’s important to be pumping. If the waves are small enough that you’re not steering to be surfing on them, then pumping isn’t needed. ZEKE: Mike, thanks and congratulations again on being the 2016 J/22 World Champion. MIKE: Thanks Zeke and congratulations to you and your team on a great regatta. Considering this was your 1st J/22 event ever, I think we are going to have to work even harder to keep you behind us at the next event! Lastly, before we wrap, I’d like to thank my team of Luke and Todd for all their skill and hard work as well as the PRO and Race Committee again for doing such an excellent job. Thanks are due as well to the entire staff in Kingston for putting on a wonderful event: the regatta chair and regatta team, the measurement team, and everyone else involved. Finally, I need to say once again how much fun and what a pleasure it is to sail in the J/22 class. Although I really love sailing these boats, it’s the terrific people in the class who make the racing experience so awesome! NORTH NOTES: North-powered boats finished 1,2,3,5,6,8,9,10 at the 2016 J/22 Worlds. Both Mike Marshall and Zeke Horowitz are members of the North Sails One Design team. Mike is a sail designer based in Newport, RI and can be reached at (401) 965-0057 or by e-mail mike.marshall@northsails.com. Zeke is based in Annapolis and services the Mid-Atlantic region. He can be reached at (410) 269-5662 or zeke.horowitz@northsails.com. Photos © Chris Howell / One Design Association Management READ MORE

B14 UK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP After a great close event, the B14 National Champions for 2016 are Team Harken with Team GUL/North Sails 2nd and Troublegum/North Sails 3rd. For daily reports and full results please see here. North Sails Results 1. Nick Craig & Toby Lews 2. Mark Barnes & Charlotte Jones 3. Alan Davis & Rich Bell 4. Peter Knight & Jane Reeves 6. Stephen Hollingsworth & Elliot Holman * 7. Kathy Sherratt & Dec Clamp * 9. Alex Horlock & Jim Pearce * 10. Henry Metcalfe & Jasmine Husband *Denotes partial inventory READ MORE

Olympians Return For The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Toulon I think for all of these programs, having a home regatta is really important for two reasons: one, is to gain notoriety in your home country for the team, the sport of sailing and the America’s Cup in general; and secondly, for many teams it is about fundraising – bringing new corporations and publicity to your team and the event. Knowing that Groupama Team France was late to the party with regard to organizing their program, I have a sneaking suspicion that this event is as important to them as any of the other events have been for the home teams. On the competitive side of things, Groupama Team France is also showing signs of life, especially in lighter air. On the first day of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Portsmouth I believe they were ahead at the end of every single leeward mark before getting a first and second place finish, which is a massive improvement for them. Now with that said, they have been struggling in foiling conditions. When it’s lighter air, displacement mode, Franck Cammas and his team seem very comfortable. Once they get back into foiling mode, it was back to the drawing board, especially on Day 2 of the Portsmouth event. I know they have been doing a lot of sailing on GC32s, which are foiling catamarans, and hopefully a bit of practice on their AC45 prior to going to Toulon. The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Toulon will also be known as the event where all the A-Team sailors show back up again. Fresh from a Gold medal in Rio in the 49er Class come Peter Burling and Blair Tuke to jump back into the Skipper and Trimmer roles on Emirates Team New Zealand. Also back fresh from the Olympics with a Silver medal, losing to the Kiwis, are Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen. On the one hand I’m sure they were bummed not to win a Gold medal but, on the other hand, they made a last minute push to go from Bronze to Silver on the final day so they have got to be really pleased with that. Then, of course, there is a Gold medal for Giles Scott in the Finn Class, with a totally dominant performance. He will be back after a fairly lengthy lay-off with Land Rover BAR as their tactician. And then finally, Jason Waterhouse returns with a Silver Medal from the Nacra 17 Class in Rio to race with SoftBank Team Japan. I say “A-Team” with some trepidation because when your B-Team includes Glen Ashby, who might just be the most heralded multihull sailor on the planet, it’s not exactly a low-end B-Team! But there’s no doubt that getting everyone back in position, which includes Ashby as Wing Trimmer on Emirates Team New Zealand, has to be not only more effective for these Louis Vuitton World Series events, but also better training for their long term solution once they move up to the AC50s. So I’m sure everyone will be very excited to see all the top teams back together in one piece. And finally, we’ve had a bit of a shake up at the top of the leaderboard. Emirates Team New Zealand, for the first time since the beginning of this Series, is not leading overall going into Toulon. So let’s see where the learning curve is with some of the teams that have struggled at times and let’s see how quickly the big boys respond to get their A-Teams back together and up to the top of the leaderboard. READ MORE

A 46 year old trimaran wins the 2016 Bayview-Mackinac Race with a new custom sail package. On July 17, 2016, Adagio won her class in the Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race—thanks to her latest upgrades and a new set of North Sails. “Old Adagio has taken on a new life,” said designer and builder Meade Gougeon. The 35 foot trimaran, built in 1970, was the first to be constructed entirely with WEST SYSTEM epoxy, which Meade and his brother Jan developed. Adagio won her first Bayview-Mac in 1999. In 2000, she celebrated her thirtieth birthday by winning the race again—and then also took both line honors and first overall in that year’s race from Chicago to Mackinac Island. The crew was Meade and Jan Gougeon, Butch Babcock and JR Watson. “In 2000 the crew was at the peak of their sailing wisdom and in excellent physical condition,” reported project manager and 2016 Bayview-Mac crew member Matt Scharl. “Adagio was also at the peak of technology for that era.” Adagio was again the first multihull to finish both races to Mackinac Island in 2006. But despite several upgrades to appendages and rigging, she couldn’t produce another race win. “In recent years she had gone downhill,” Meade Gougeon explained, “with both the boat and crew aging out. This year we decided to tackle the problem.” Toward the end of the 2015 sailing season, Meade asked Matt Scharl to oversee the upgrades needed to bring the boat back up to race-winning speed before the 2016 race. Matt grew up sailing locally on his grandfather’s Tartan 41 Naiad, and to him the project felt like “coming back home.” “We only got one opportunity to sail Adagio before it came out of the water ,” Matt explained, “but that sail was telling.” The boat’s sails, which were only a year old, made it so difficult to stay in the groove that only Meade, with his forty-five years of experience driving the boat, could keep things rolling. “The sails weren’t right for the boat at all,” Matt said, adding that the genoa’s entry was too fine. The spinnaker was “simply what I describe as a beach ball—too deep to promote any flow across the sail.” In contrast, the mainsail was so flat it was hard to trim properly. The result was very little overlap between sails, and very little forgiveness on any point of sail. “The old suit had very definitive wind and angle ranges,” Matt continued. “It was hard to obtain and maintain optimal trim. Getting the boat up and running was achievable, but keeping it there was very finicky.” So in addition to helping his race teammates, brothers-in-law Ben Gougeon and Alan Gurski, with their ongoing modernization of Adagio, Matt brought in North Sails designer Magnus Doole to work up a new sail inventory. “Matt agreed to help us do a makeover of Adagio,” Meade explained, “but only if we included Magnus to consult on the rig, and design a new set of sails.” “The Gougeon organization could not be happier with the North Sails effort, which has helped our beloved Adagio to carry on a competitive effort for more years to come.” And those designs, Matt says, were “spot on.” Magnus came up to Bay City from New Zealand to help Matt accurately measure the boat. Then the sailmaker created a 3D model from the measurements using Desman, which is part of the North Design Suite. Back home again, Magnus designed a sail package that would maximize crossover and make the boat easier to sail fast. The sails included a North Sails 3Di ENDURANCE mainsail, solent genoa and trinquette staysail, a North Panel Laminate (NPL) code zero and North Paneled Cloth (NPC) yellow gennaker. They were built at two separate North facilities according to strict manufacturing standards, and then shipped directly to Michigan. Meade Gougeon was impressed with both the seamless process and North’s attention to detail. “The sails were delivered on time and fit like a glove, due to the careful job of measuring. The collaboration between Matt and Magnus was like magic, and Magnus went beyond the call of just being a sail designer, engaging with both Matt and us on any number of related sail handling issues.” As for performance, Matt noticed one key difference as soon as they raised the new sails: a wider groove. “The boat was lively, responsive and accelerated fast.” Adagio’s crew for the 2016 Bayview-Mac (Matt, Ben, and Alan) wasn’t able to practice as much as they would’ve liked before the start, so it wasn’t until they had already started the 259-mile course that they realized just how much range each of the new sails had. “The race started out as a one-sided beat on starboard,” Matt said, “so we started with the genoa, with great boat speed on the other boats. When we got lifted we switched to the Code 0, an hour late.” They were still learning the crossovers for the new sails. When the wind lifted them even more, they switched to the spinnaker—”again an hour too late,” Matt said. “Clearly the new sails had larger ranges than we had expected.” The thirty-five footer was able to keep pace with the Santa Cruz 70s, though until Adagio rounded the Cove Island mark, they lost some distance to the multihulls behind them that were sailing in better breeze. “After rounding,” Matt explained, “we sailed with the genoa and jib on a beam reach.” It was here that the boat (with Ben Gougeon on the helm) reached her top speed of the race, which Matt described as “17-ish” knots. He believes it was on this leg of the course where the team gained enough distance on the boats behind to secure the class win. “I’ve never sailed a small trimaran that is able to hold apparent wind so well.” “We were passing lots of the Santa Cruz 70s along the way,” Alan Gurski added, “so we had a good feeling that we were near the front of the fleet.” Adagio won the multihull division with an elapsed time of 28:46:04. “It was a hoot!” said Alan afterward. Having sails that were easy to trim and fast to sail also made it easier for the three man team to gel so quickly. Alan and Ben had sailed Adagio with Meade for the past five years, but this was Matt’s first season on board. “We all can do every job on the boat,” Matt said, “so roles are interchangeable.” As for sleep, “we all got about two hours.” This winter, Adagio has one more major upgrade scheduled. And then, Matt says, “she is good to go for the next fifty years, we think.” Meade Gougeon agrees. “The Gougeon organization could not be happier with the North Sails effort, which has helped our beloved Adagio to carry on a competitive effort for more years to come.” READ MORE

FRANK REEG AND JONATHAN PRINS WIN 2016 MC NATIONALS Top Nine Teams Powered by North Sails! Imagine this 101 MC Scows, championship racing and Crystal Lake, Michigan one of the world’s nicest lakes. That was our setup for this year’s MC National Championship. This regatta was almost three years in the making with preparations by Regatta Chair – Kelly Winter and her team of over half of the yacht clubs family membership joining in to help get ready for and to run the championship. The efforts simply put were incredible. Every single detail you could think of was handled with servant volunteers at every turn this past week on the water and off the water. More about that in a bit further down in the article. Let’s get right to some results. I will break this down into results right away. Then conditions for the races. Some key learnings for the races. Also, Race highlights , Social Activities and Future Class News. RESULTS Incredible line-up of sailors. Average age is falling in our class which is great for our future as we see a large younger group of sailors joining our class. For full results go to www.2016mcnationals.com RACE WINNERS – Powered by North Sails! Race 1 – Cam McNeil Race 2 – Frank Reeg Race 3 – Scott Harestad Race 4 – Frank Reeg RAce 5 – Andy McDonald Race 6 – Scott Slocum Race 7 – Eric Hood DIVISION WINNERS – Powered by North Sails! Top Youth – Frank Reeg Top Woman – Emily Oltrogge Top Master – Scott Harestad Top Grand Master – Matt Fisher Top Mega Master – Mike Keenan Top Old Salt – Ed Schindler TOP TEAMS POWERED BY NORTH SAILS 1. Frank Reeg Spring Lake, MI 30pts 2. Cam McNeil White Lake, MI 43 pts 3. Scott Harestad Spring Lake , MI 53pts 4. Ted Keller Torch Lake, MI 61pts 5. Brian McMurray White Lake , MI 70 pts 6. Eddie Cox White Bear YC, MN 72 pts 7. Tony Pugh Crystal Lake, MI 74 pts 9. Daniel Guidinger White Bear YC, MN 88 pts READ MORE

North Sails partners with Warrior Sailing Program Competitive Team for the J/22 Worlds in Kingston, Ontario Since 2013 the Warrior Sailing Program has introduced 165 wounded veterans and active military athletes to the sport of sailing. Continuing to surpass all of the original expectations, the program is expanding to provide it’s training camp graduates with opportunities beyond just ‘learning how to sail’. An option for graduates is to earn a spot on the competitive race team. Other options include sailing certifications, big boat racing, small boat racing, and regional sailing. This year the Warrior Sailing team made a decision to compete in the J/22 world championship in Kingston, Ontario. With the tremendous support of the USMMA Sailing Foundation and partnerships with companies like North Sails, we are ready to take on the WORLD. Competing in the event on the WS team is Scott Ford (Navy), Sammy Lugo (Army) and team head coach Ed Norton (sailor not actor!). Additional team members, David Caras (Coast Guard) and Josh Agripino (Marine), made the trip up to learn from this experience on a spectator boat. A new suite of J22 sails will help enhance boatspeed. Program director Ben Poucher says, “Without the support of North Sails, our team was going to start out at a disadvantage on the World stage. The J/22 sails North provided on short notice has helped our team generate positive results and pushed our team to be more competitive during each race. Thank you North One Design!” The Warrior Sailing competitive team is looking to continue in the J22 class and also expand its horizons to provide more spots on the competitive team in the near future. We are always seeking ‘ready to race’ boat donations and monetary support to offset event costs. The support of the donation allows us to use the boat for our team for 3 years, and then sell the boat to help fund new and promising initiatives. Learn more about the program READ MORE

Accomplished One Design sailors Phil and Wendy Lotz have embarked on a new project: a liveaboard multhull. We caught up with them after their first two regattas on their new Gunboat 60 Arethusa. The Fort Lauderdale-Key West Race is considered a feeder race for Key West Race Week, and in 2016 it was also the shakedown event for the Gunboat 60 Arethusa and her owners Phil and Wendy Lotz. According to Phil, the 160-mile sprint down the Keys was a great way to figure out their new offshore catamaran. “We got a chance to put the boat through its paces, on all points of sail and in varying wind conditions.” Once they arrived in Key West, they made the transition to day racing, even though “it is not really a ‘round the buoys’ boat.” And that was actually a nice plus in a location where housing costs are typically a large part of the team budget: “We lived on her at Key West and plan on doing so at all our race events.” Arethusa raced with 8-10 crew (though only six stayed aboard), and they’re still settling into an exact number for the team. “We think 8 to 9 (depending on skill set) is needed for day racing with any frequency of turning marks or sail changes.” Transferring racing skills from offshore one design monohulls like the Swan 42 class, where Phil and Wendy were national and KWRW champions, required several adjustments. “The rig is very powerful, so we are getting used to the rig and the sails and how to handle them.” And then there’s the high speed. “That takes a little getting used to, especially approaching maneuvers and sail changes.” The couple’s favorite sail is the A4, which is launched from a snuffer. “it is a very large chute so the snuffer helps control the sail. Plus it would be very hard to pack as the sail is bigger than the working space onboard.” And during the weeklong race series, “we used almost everything—we really think the inventory is great and found a real need for every sail.” Arethusa is equipped with North Sails 3Di ENDURANCETM working sails (Main, J1, J2), North Sails NPL DOWNWINDTM R1 and R3, and an NPC DOWNWINDTM A4. The original plan was to head from Key West to the Caribbean for the racing season there, but instead Phil and Wendy have decided to spend the winter/spring in Fort Lauderdale, to “get the boat perfect.” Phil added, “We look forward to finishing up the work list early to mid-March and conducting some sea trials off Lauderdale.” After that, the racer-cruiser benefits of their new boat will again be a plus. “We want to do some cruising in the Bahamas in late April before returning back to Newport late May.” Summer racing plans include Annapolis-Newport, NYYC Race Week, the NYYC Cruise, and the Vineyard Race. So by next year’s Lauderdale-Key West Race, the new Arethusa will definitely be a racing veteran. READ MORE

In late 2015, childhood friends Vincent Moeyersoms, Olivier Moeyersoms, and Marc Vander Stricht bought the 53’ aluminum, French-designed exploration sailboat, Alioth. Why? Because these Belgian cruising sailors share a love of extreme latitudes—now they have the vessel to get them there. Built in 2009, Alioth is fully kitted-out with a lifting keel, water ballast, twin rudders, and crash bulkheads in the bow and stern. She is an ocean-goer with some miles in her wake, having completed a circumnavigation with her previous owners. Alioth came with sails that Vincent describes as “old” since they have 50,000 miles on them and her year-old North Sails spinnaker is a “keeper.” Next month she will receive North Sails NPL TOUR heavy-duty cruising sails. For Vincent and crew, expedition sails might be a better term. For 2-3 months out of the year, Alioth will serve as home for Vincent, Olivier, and Marc. Within five years they hope to lap the Americas on a zig-zag route reaching far North, and far South. In May, the crew delivered Alioth from Belgium to Norway. Over the next few months they will make their way from the Lofoten Islands, down the coast of Norway, and start ticking the boxes on the Atlantic. “Next summer we should be coming up the coast of the US to Maine, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland,” Vincent said. “If the conditions are right, we could then attempt the Northwest Passage. If not, we will delay a year.” Completing the Northwest Passage would leave them in Alaska. From there, the planned route would deliver them down the coast of Canada, across the Pacific to New Zealand, across the South Pacific to Chile, then onto Antarctica, South Georgia, and back up to Europe “I sailed professionally years ago and I took part in the Round the Word Race and raced maxi boats,” Vincent said. “Later I ran a few campaigns in the Maxi class and America’s Cup. In 1992, I managed the winning America’s Cup team America3.” Five years aboard Alioth is the next challenge. Alioth’s name signifies the brightest star in the Big Dipper. “We decided to keep the name,” Vincent said. This decision is a nod to the crew’s shared ambition to add a greater purpose to their exploration. “We would love to adopt an environmental aspect of the journey, to contribute toward trying to find a solution to the ocean’s plastic pollution problem we’ve seen growing for so many years. In 40 years spent on the water, we have seen trash accumulating on the ocean, and we want to be part of the solution.” READ MORE

Looking to take your team to the next level? Off the back of J/111 Worlds, North Sails catches up with Martin Dent on how he and the team on North-powered JElvis played their strengths to secure a world-class win in this highly competitive class. Narrowing it down, Dent shares 5 tips to up your game and approach the next regatta ready to win. IT ALL STARTS WITH A GREAT TEAM Most of us have now raced together since the 2014 Winter Series, add in some practice, and then finally some good fortune. We were especially lucky with the windy conditions, which played to our strengths. Last year my wife and youngest daughter sailed on the boat in Newport, this year my elder daughter and 16 year old son did the bow and pit respectively. No Worlds places are guaranteed for family members (!) but these two both did the full training during July and earnt their spots. My wife did an amazing job this year, catering for the whole team in our house in Cowes and also being out on the rib for each race. MASTER THE FAR ENDS OF “SAILABLE CONDITIONS” We started training with the Round the Island Race on July 2nd. This was the windiest conditions that we’d sailed the J/111, and it is hard to imagine deliberately going out for a practice session in 25 to 35 knots. So when we found ourselves round the back of the island, wiping out on every other gybe, the process started to develop techniques that would ultimately pay for us in the Worlds one month later. Then in mid July, North Sails organized a training weekend. As it turned out we were lucky that during this training it was also blowing 20+ knots: again, the exact same conditions we were to face in the Worlds. BRING YOUR A-GAME It was noticeable, as with previous Worlds, that everybody raises their game. Whether it’s new sails, A-teams, a bit of practice, or just the general focus and concentration that everyone puts in, every team was sailing well. You get boats and teams from all over the world coming together at the warning signal and the true one design of the J/111 makes the racing so tight. KNOW YOUR COMPETITION Peter Wagner’s team, Skeleton Key, from San Francisco, were a hot ship. They always seemed to be in the right place going fast, and they were very competitive tactically: the tacking duels started on Day 1. Going into the final day, we were hanging on to a 2-point lead but we were carrying a much higher discard (15) than Skeleton who had only discarded a 5. So we knew that they would try to sail us down the fleet, it was just a question of whether they would do the damage in Race 1 or 2… Whilst we ate our pancakes at breakfast, Ruairidh, Annabel and I were drawing sketches of the various boat-on-boat scenarios that might develop… Sure enough Skeleton came at us in the pre-start on the first race. We went into a match racing dial-up, which then turned into a dial down. Somehow we got out of there ok and got a reasonable start, so going into the final race it was back to fleet racing. KEEP YOUR LID ON The final race was underway and we needed a top 5 finish, yet we had to work our way through the fleet having struggled to hold our lane off the start. We’d worked our way to 3rd at the leeward mark, only to get a bonner in the jib and let 3 boats through. After all that work it was a basic boat-handling mistake under pressure! So we’d have to work our way back up through the fleet a second time, which was no easy task as everyone was fighting for places. In the end we fought back to a second place finish, granting us the overall win with four points to spare. Want more tips? Check out our full-length interview with Martin on OffshoreOneDesign.com READ MORE

INTERVIEW WITH MARTIN DENT SKIPPER OF JELVIS THE 2016 J/111 WORLD CHAMPION North Sails Jeremy Smart caught up with Martin to find out the secrets to their success. What were the key ingredients of your World Championship victory? That’s easy: it’s all down to a great team, most of which have now raced together since the 2014 Winter Series, add in some practice, and then finally some good fortune. We were especially lucky with the windy conditions, which played to our strengths. How did you prepare for the Regatta? We started with the Round the Island Race on July 2. This was the windiest conditions that we’d sailed the J/111, and it is hard to imagine deliberately going out for a practice session in 25 to 35 knots. So when we found ourselves round the back of the Island, wiping out on every other gybe, the process started to develop techniques that would ultimately pay for us in the Worlds one month later. Throughout July we spent time refreshing the boat handling basics. Then in mid July, North Sails organised a weekend of with some video training practice with starts, upwind tuning and downwind techniques. As it turned out we were lucky that during this training weekend it was also blowing 20+ knots: again, the exact same conditions we were to face in the Worlds. How competitive was the racing during the Worlds? It was very tight racing in each of the races throughout the four days. It was noticeable, as with previous Worlds, that everybody raises their game. Whether it’s new sails, A-teams, a bit of practice, or just the general focus and concentration that everyone puts in, every team was sailing well. You get boats and teams from all over the world coming together at the warning signal and the true one design of the J/111 makes the racing so tight. The starts were intense, it was a challenge to hold a lane, and the mark roundings were congested on each leg. If you made a mistake you’d immediately let through boats and it was a truly international final podium…the top 6 boats were: UK, USA, UK, USA, Netherlands, Cornwall. There was high drama on the final day and it was all on until the last race? Peter Wagner’s team, Skeleton Key, from San Francisco, were a hot ship. We knew this from their US performances and from when they flew in and with just one day’s acclimatisation white-washed the Pre-Worlds giving us an exhibition in nailing every shift and slick boat handling. The weather during the Pre-Worlds was closer to “normal”, but as the Worlds got underway in heavy Solent conditions, that favoured us, it seemed like Skeleton were getting faster throughout the week as they worked out both the conditions and the Solent. They always seemed to be in the right place going fast, and they were very competitive tactically: the tacking duels started on Day 1. Going into the final day, we were hanging on to a 2-point lead but we were carrying a much higher discard (15) than Skeleton who had only discarded a 5. So we knew that they would try to sail us down the fleet, it was just a question of whether they would do the damage in Race 1 or 2… Whilst we ate our pancakes at breakfast, Ruairidh, Annabel and I were drawing sketches of the various boat-on-boat scenarios that might develop… Sure enough Skeleton came at us in the pre-start on the first race. We went into a match racing dial-up, which then turned into a dial down. Somehow we got out of there ok and got a reasonable start, so going into the next and final race it was back to fleet racing. We needed a top 5 finish, and yet we had to work our way through the fleet having struggled to hold our lane off the start. We’d worked our way to 3rd at the leeward mark, only to get a bonner in the jib and let 3 boats through. After all that work it was a basic boat-handling mistake under pressure! So we’d have to work our way back up through the fleet a second time, which was no easy task as everyone was fighting for places. How did the 2016 Worlds compare with the 2015 Worlds in Newport, USA? Conditions were completely different. In Newport there was a 25 boat fleet but it was light and shifty winds: a lot of J1 upwind and A1.5 downwind sailing, soaking low to target VMG numbers. This year was pretty much all 20+ knots so it was J2’s and J3’s, and on the downwind legs it paid to get the boat up and ripping on the plane asap. How many family members did you have on the team? Last year my wife and youngest daughter sailed on the boat in Newport, this year my elder daughter and 16 year old son did the bow and pit respectively. No Worlds’ places are guaranteed for family members (!) but these two both did the full training during July and earnt their spots. My wife did an amazing job this year, catering for the whole team in our house in Cowes and also being out on the rib for each race. You bought your J/111 in 2014. Why did you pick the J/111? As a family we had spent the previous decade doing a lot of blue water cruising on an Oyster. The displacement Oyster was perfect for its task but when, in 2014, we switched the focus to racing we didn’t want another boat that went downwind at the same speed as it went upwind. So it had to be a planing boat, and a one-design fleet with a future, that we could grow into. I noted that the J/111 fleet was strong in the UK and was growing world wide, with an ISAF international class status. The J/111 has surpassed our expectations. I was delighted that the first year, we were firmly at the back of the fleet; this was a fleet of good sailors. The fleet has been great, there’s a good bunch of friendly owners, who share ideas and knowledge freely. Cost-wise the J/111 is not expensive, it’s just the same as any other 35 footer, and yet you get a different league of performance and racing. You can’t modify your boat so you can’t spend any money even if you wanted to, and there is a sail tag system that limits the numbers of new sails you can buy. Most importantly sailors enjoy sailing the J/111. Finding crew is not difficult: the boat is so responsive to even minor trim adjustments and to body positions, it sails like a dinghy, and downwind it is truly exciting sailing, and this keeps everybody coming back! How have you found the North Sails product? I had North Sails on my Oyster, but if I am honest, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you, in 2014, which of the sail-makers were building the best sails for the J/111. The 2014, 2015 and 2016 J/111 Worlds have all been won by different sail-makers. But what made the difference for me was that from the minute I bought the J/111, I received so much help and support in terms of actually sailing the boat from the North team. Over the last three years we have had 8 different North Sails sailors help us! The North team has led the development and transfer of knowledge across the fleet. This was great for us when we were starting out, and it continues to help us today and to help the fleet keep improving. We use the standard North Sails tuning guide and targets. In three years I have only bought two sets of sails, despite doing a lot of sailing and 3 World Championships. We switched from 3DL to raw 3Di and this included a different sail design and undoubtedly we had a step change in boat speed. In Newport (2015) with our 3di sails hung on a local US boat that we chartered, we had good boat speed on the US teams, including the Quantum boat that ultimately won, but we were just out-sailed, ending up 7th out of 25. It is therefore no surprise to me that, this year, North Sails have monopolised the J/111 podiums on both sides of the Atlantic in the respective Nationals, and Worlds: just deserts, in my opinion, for a full service effort. Will you continue with the J/111? Undoubtedly, yes. It’s simple: there isn’t any better racing. As an example and in complete contrast to the Worlds, immediately following the Worlds this year we did Cowes Week. Given some understandable fallout after the Worlds, there were only six J/111 entries and all with family and friend type crews. And yet despite this and the typical Cowes Week round the can races, it was still nip and tuck all the way; after 3 and a half hours, just 3 seconds separated McFly and us on the first day and each subsequent race the finishes were matters of seconds not minutes. To find another boat that planes downwind, the alternative in the UK fleets is to go to the Fast Forty fleet, which is a massive increase in price and a much more complex proposition. Whilst the Ker 40’s etc look awesome, and it is great that this fleet has developed, I do notice that after every event the Fast Forty fleet talk is generally about rigs, keels, etc. I’ve got great admiration for the boat development, but I prefer the J/111 post race talk, which is simply about shifts, tactics and boat handling. The 111 racing is just about the sailing, and it is exciting to the finish with boats seconds apart. What do you think of the J/111 Class Rules? They all make sense: the 650kg weight limit, for Class events, is perfect and most teams sail with 8 comfortably. Without the weight limit it would be a competition in finding 6 big guys for the rail. With it, we find a few teams that manage to get 9 on board with either young nippers and also it is great to see women who are typically lighter weight, amongst the teams. There is a one Cat 3 (professional sailor) limit: this is also about right, keeps the cost down, and keeps it from becoming too serious. There are IRC events where Class Rules don’t apply and in the UK we have adjusted Class rules per local events to accommodate various teams and this has worked well. Final question, will you go to the US to defend the Championship next year? It’s one of the great benefits of the class that the World Championships move around to great sailing venues. I can’t think of a better holiday than a week racing in San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge and seeking tide relief from Alcatraz on the America’s Cup race track. We will be there. READ MORE

Hugo Rocha of North Sails Spain recounts Olympics past and present, plus the tactics that got him through three editions of the Games in the Men’s 470, ultimately medaling in Atlanta, 1996. You were a young guy when you first went to Barcelona in 1992. Can you put into words what a first Olympic experience is like? The scale, the excitement, the camaraderie, etc. How did this affect you and what impact did it have? I have been a very big fan of sports since I was a little child. When I was eight I used to practice gymnastics and I remember watching on TV the Moscow’s Olympics Ceremony, and obviously being there was something unthinkable. At 10, I started sailing in the Optimist class, and by that time the idea of attending the Olympics was definitely on my mind. So when I finally could attend, my excitement was huge. Living in the Olympic Village, sharing the facilities with your sport idols, those whom you had seen only on TV, was an unforgettable experience. I still remember the inauguration day and the walk we did from the Village to the Stadium, I was astounded at how incredible everything was, surrounded by police, helicopters above us, like in the movies, I felt really important. Being there during the ceremony in the Stadium was a breathtaking and incredible experience. You must be extremely proud of your Bronze Medal in Atlanta (well, Savannah!) in 1996. Can you describe your emotions on the podium and the memories you now have looking back? Reaching your goal after 4 years of hard work represents an enormous joy. However, sailing in Savannah helped us to focus on the Olympic racing just as we would any other, since we stayed in the local Olympic Village which was far away from the hustle and bustle of the Olympic Games. For Atlanta, the real excitment came when we arrived in home in Portugal. A country with just a few Olympic medals, we had won two medals that year: Fernanda Ribeiro won gold in Women’s 10000mn, and us with bronze in the Men’s 470. Overnight, we became famous. Everybody stopped you on the street, the restaurants. Suddenly you felt a strange but nice pressure. “…That’s why it is important to follow a methodology and, above all, to build your strength based on psychology, which means that you have to work hard at what you believe, feel and want.” From your three Olympic Games, other than the medal, what stands out from the different cities, teams and experiences that are all part of the world’s greatest sporting event? Barcelona was my first Olympic experience and I still remember some special moments like it was yesterday. I will never forget the image of Olympic flame cauldron being lit by a flaming arrow, and listening to the athlete’s oath of my friend Luis Doreste during the opening ceremony. In the Atlanta Games, sailing was hosted at a location far from the Olympic environment so it felt more like a common international competition rather than the biggest sporting event in the world. A curious thing was the giant platform where all the sailboats were standing, only accessible by boat. Everyday we had to take a 30 minutes ferry ride, enjoying the beautiful landscape. Sydney was the first time that I felt sailing was valued by the crowds, just as much as the other sports. It was amazing to see the great involvement of the city during the races. In fact, it was one of the few occasions that we could see such big crowds supporting a sailing event. The match racing finals in front of the Opera House had incredible and unprecedented participation from the public. Even today I ask myself why match racing does not have a place in the Olympic Games. Where do you keep your medal? I keep it along with all my trophies and sailing items in a personal work room. Tell us about the emotional and physical journey required to compete at the Olympic Games? Years of training, dreaming and pushing yourself must require a lot of discipline and dedication… It is a minimum of 4 years with just one goal on your mind: winning the medal. Obviously it’s not an easy journey. The competitors are tough and all of them are struggling hard to reach the same reward. That’s why it is important to follow a methodology and, above all, to build your strength based on psychology which means that you have to work hard at what you believe, feel and want. Having a good team around you that can give support and advice is another key factor for success, because they must know you very well, giving you the confidence to destroy your fears. The level of competition at the Olympics is so strong in all fleets – with an experienced eye, what is your assessment of the Men’s 470 Class? Who are the top podium contenders? The 470 has always been a very strong Olympic Class both in the number of participants and the level of the athletes. In this Class, everyone struggles to get the best tuning and use the right materials to achieve the fastest boat. It is a very complete boat that requires a broad understanding of all tactics and technical items to compete on the top. It is definitely an incredible boat and it will push you to become an experienced sailor. From my point of view, the top podium contenders are from Australia, Croatia, Argentina and Great Britain. How do you think the Class has changed since you raced? How have the sails also evolved to improve performance? During the last years, the class has faced several changes, the most important in my opinion is allowing the pumping from eight knots which demands a major physical effort. Regarding the evolution of the sails, I have seen important advances on the tuning guide directions, and the rake as well, besides a much flatter mainsail – especially on the bottom. Have you ever sailed in Rio? What do you make of the courses? The race area inside the bay is more tricky due to all the changes in pressure and currents. Outside the bay, there is a pretty nice course with good conditions and a nice swell. Finally, which country do you think will emerge at the top of the sailing medal table? Great Britain. READ MORE

Thirty six J/Boats hit the water to ring in the area’s inaugural J/Fest regatta. Sponsored by North Sails and hosted by Bristol Yacht Club, the inaugural J/Fest New England kicked off Friday, August 12th with afternoon practice led by North Sails Offshore One Design, followed by a local knowledge weather briefing at the club. Working with the J/105, J/109 and J/88 classes, North Sails experts Chuck Allen, Bill Gladstone and Jack Orr helped teams tune up and stretch their legs in 12-15 knot southerly winds. Heading in a little early due to incoming weather, sailors were met with a local knowledge briefing by North Sails experts Charlie Enright and North Sails President, Ken Read. A review of local weather trends including current, obstacles and wind direction was complemented by burgers and an open bar, all sponsored by North Sails. “If it weren’t for the rise of J/Boat racing, I would still be in Bristol Harbor sailing Mercuries,” said Read, a multi-world champion in the J/24, acknowledging the impact of J/Boats on competitive One Design racing throughout North America. Saturday brought the first races to fruition slowly, with a wind delay at the club and on the water. In the 90 degree heat and humidity forecast, soon more sailors were swimming than waiting patiently aboard. Nevertheless, the sea breeze filled mid-afternoon and the race committee squeezed in two quality races in a fairly stable southerly at 12 knots and ebb tide. Early on, boats starting off the pin end who worked the left shoreline fared well before the wind began to shift slightly right toward the end of the day. Sunday brought a light southerly gradient breeze. Hopes for a bolstering seabreeze were eventually burned off with the high heat, and pressure was generally up and down with big oscillations. Three to four races were completed by all fleets. North Sails sponsored three awards for the event which were presented by NA Sales Manager, Kimo Worthington, who sailed onboard J/109 Vento Solare for the event. The North Sails Overall award was presented to Ted Hearlihy’s J/109 Gut Feeling, the Sportsmanship award was presented to Brooke Mastrorio on J/109 Ursa, and most improved went to Kevin Dakan on J/110 Memory. Looking back on the long weekend, local North expert Charlie Enright commented that J/Fest New England is “a great event with a bright future. It’s wonderful to see a new regatta surrounded by such enthusiasm. Events like J/Fest will strengthen local classes both on the water and off.” READ MORE

FIREBALL UK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Tom Gillard & Richard Anderton first with a day to spare North Sails Tom Gillard with crew Richard Anderton has won the Fireball UK Nationals at Hayling Island with a day and two races to spare. The regatta saw mixed conditions with the the first two days raced in 12 to 18 knots and days three and four in lighter winds of 4 to 12 knots. Other top scoring North Sails powered boats were Kevin Hope and Russell Thorne who finished in 5th place and Peter & Tom Kyne who finished in 9th place. Overall results can be seen on the event results page. To read a full report see yachtsandyachting.com READ MORE